THE PRICE OF PARADISE

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THE PRICE OF PARADISE is a powerful feature documentary that uncovers a buried chapter of Hawaiian history through the personal journey of Lindamae, a woman who, at 55, discovered the truth about her origins. Born on the remote Kalaupapa peninsula on Moloka‘i—once a forced isolation settlement for people with Hansen’s Disease—Lindamae was taken from her mother at birth and placed for adoption. Her story mirrors that of many children of Kalaupapa, torn from their families in a system that erased identities and silenced voices. As Lindamae reunites with her birth family and seeks answers, her journey exposes the historical trauma of forced separation, colonial exploitation, and cultural erasure in Hawai‘i. Inspired by journalist Alia Wong’s 2011 Civil Beat article, “A Lost Child of Kalaupapa,” the film is a poignant reckoning with the past and a call for truth, healing, and the preservation of Hawaiian stories long kept in the shadows.