Film Screenings to Honor Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea: A Pono Project Event

A Pono Project Event

Friday, July 31, 2026
Starts at 7:30pm
Run time: 100 minutes with intermission

Featuring screenings of Mālama Mākua and Sacred Island: Living the Dream

To honor Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, along with the 50th Anniversary of Proteck Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana, we will screen two short documentary films that in the spirit of Hawaiian Restoration Day followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. Part of the proceeds will benefit PKO.

***Special low pricing made possible through the Pono Project.***

ABOUT Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea

The national celebration of Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea was established in 1843 under Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, after a temporary occupation by rogue agents of the British Crown. Effective control of the government had been seized, and all Hawaiian flags were lowered and burned by order of British Lord George Paulet. Months later, Queen Victoria sent Admiral Richard Thomas to Hawaii to remove Paulet and correct this unwarranted transgression against the Hawaiian Kingdom.

In a large ceremony attended by thousands of Hawaiian citizens, of all ethnicities, a flag ceremony was held at what is now Thomas Square in Honolulu, where the Union Jack was lowered and the Hawaiian flag was raised to symbolize the return of effective sovereign control back into the hands of Hawaii and Kamehameha III.

This national event, called Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea, Sovereignty Restoration Day, gave birth to the popular proclamation by Kauikeaouli: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the Hawaiian nation is restored by righteousness. This celebration became one of the first national holidays of the Hawaiian Kingdom along with La Kuokoa, Hawaiian Independence Day.

In 2022, the day was recognized by the State of Hawaii as a special day of remembrance.

ABOUT THE FILMS

Film Synopsis of Sacred Island: Living The Dream
A group of local musicians visits Kahoʻolawe to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the island’s reclamation from military bombing. Through pule (prayer), visits to sacred sites, and the creation of new music, they honor the island’s mana (spiritual power) and the ongoing work of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana to restore and protect this sacred place.
Director:  Blake Abes is a filmmaker and photographer with experience creating a wide range of content, including short films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he earned a BA in Creative Media while serving as the General Manager of UH Productions.

Film synopsis for Mālama Mākua:
Mālama Mākua tells the story of a grassroots organization in Hawaiʻi engaged in a multi-generational fight to protect the sacred lands of Mākua Valley from Military destruction. A film 30 years in the making, Mālama Mākua chronicles the ongoing struggle to restore U.S. Military-occupied lands to Native Hawaiian stewardship.
Director Mikey Inouye is a community organizer and filmmaker. His first feature documentary “Mālama Mākua” won the Audience Choice Award at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival in 2025. Mikey believes that movement-driven independent film serves as a powerful tool for organizing communities and empowering them to fight for collective liberation.

About PKO:
The mission of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) is to perpetuate Aloha ʻĀina throughout the Hawaiian Islands. They engage Native Hawaiians and the general public in cultural, educational, and spiritual activities to heal and revitalize the cultural and natural resources of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe

About the Pono Project

The Pono Project is a series of live arts and culture events celebrating the diversity of the Maui community, promoting inclusion of marginalized persons, and educating on Maui’s history and challenges, bolstered by partnerships with other Maui nonprofits.

The Pono Project is supported in part by the County of Maui’s Office of Economic Development.