Highlighting documentaries and movies that will help shed light on the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) experience and teach us more about APPI Heritage.
Documentaries & Films
Standing Above the Clouds (2020)
Jalena Keane-Lee
Standing Above the Clouds centers on a group of Hawaiian mother-daughter activists — the Ku Kia’i Mauna, or guardians of the mountain — as they work to protect their sacred Mauna a Wakea from the construction of an eighteen story telescope at its pristine northern plateau, a peak so tall it “stands above the clouds.” This beautiful intergenerational documentary weaves together protest in the land and in the courtroom, as the Ku Kia’i Mauna fight to protect their mountain.
The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu
On Honolulu’s famous Waikiki Beach stand four large stones that represent a Hawaiian tradition of healing and gender diversity that is all but unknown to the millions of locals and tourists passing by. According to legend, the stones are a tribute to four mahu, people of dual male and female spirit, who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii and used their spiritual power to cure disease.
Pacific Heartbeat
A national public television series of critically acclaimed documentaries that provides an authentic glimpse into the Pacific Islander experience. Creative and beautifully told stories about arts, culture and intimate human stories, the series features a diverse array of programs intended to draw viewers into the heart and soul of Pacific Island culture while providing viewers a glimpse of the real Pacific—its people, languages, music, and contemporary issues.
Asian Americans: A Series
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.