Of all the films that I’ve seen at HIFF 44, one of these films that stood out amongst the rest was the animated short THE QUEENʻS FLOWERS. It is an Indigenous Hawaiian animation short directed by Ciara Leinaʻala Lacy. The film is based on a true story and takes place in 1915 Honolulu, it follows the journey of Emma Pollack, a young Native Hawaiian girl who lives in a church that sits right next to Washingtonʻs Place, the residence of Queen Liliʻuokalani.
This film is one of the most beautiful and incredible pieces of Indigenous cinema that I have ever seen. I was completely blown away by the animation, art style, music, and storytelling. The vibrant colors, character designs, and the direction. There is very little to no dialogue, however, the expressions on the character’s face and body language help to guide the story, and it is easy to understand and connect to them like Emma. The flowers and lei were animated incredibly well, as were the colors, the way they glow, and even the sound of them flowing through the wind.
The sound design and mixing are incredible to hear and enhance the visuals. The foley designs help to breathe life into the film. Because there is no dialogue in the film, it relies on a few sound bits such as grunts, and footsteps. The characters chuckle, weep, and grunt. These sounds are enough for the characters to express themselves, rather than having a dialogue scene or exposition. I also would think that this helps the Hawaiian chants and songs to stand out, and I do think it should be since it’s the soul of the film. I donʻt want to give much away, but the songs hit the right notes and can be hit deep within the soul of those who view the film.
To me, this film relates so much because of the tragic historical context. The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom is one of the darkest moments in Hawaiian history. To this day, the culture and the people have not recovered from it. I was born and raised here all my life, I’m part-native Hawaiian, and to me, this film hits the emotional side of me because of the historical context and the trauma that was inflicted by the history. I think this film handles it well and appreciate the care the filmmakers took to ensure that this film treats the story and culture well.
Richard Aiwohi-Kim born and raised here in Honolulu. He earned a Bachelors of Arts in the Art Studio and Digital Cinema at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He is an aspiring filmmaker and artist and studies cinema history, media culture, ethics, and visual culture. Through UH, he has worked on almost a dozen student productions as an editor, production assistant, sound recordist, and DP.
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2024 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
