Celebration of UC Film and Media Arts
The 2026 Celebration of UC Film and Media Arts took place at the TUC Cinema on March 25th. A big THANK YOU to Nancy, the Niehoff Center for Film and Media Studies, and the Office of the Provost. The program of the evening was diverse in formats, lengths, styles and genres, displaying a variety of talent, imagination and skills.
My short film ʻĀina Momona – Hui Makaʻainana o Makana opened the evening, showcasing the importance and impact of community engagement when it comes to preserving the ʻāina (land).
In this 30-mimute documentary, Presley explains that to “mālama ʻāina” (“to care for the land”), is “to care for that which feeds you”. I made this film during the second year of my undergrad, and this message of “taking care of that which feeds you” is more relevant than ever. The Hawaiian holistic approach and belief that humans are part of Nature, not apart from it resonates strongly for me and is at the very center the Forest Calls’ call-to-action to “Reconnect with Nature”.
ʻĀina Momona – Hui Makaʻainana o Makana, premiered in Marseille (France), at the IUCN – World Conservation Congress. This important conservation event, which takes place every four years, had been pushed to 2021 because of COVID. I attended as a Hawaiʻi Youth Delegate, alongside my sister Janique who presented her own short film (Janique Marcil video presentation at the World Conservation Congress).
I would encourage everyone to take a look at IUCN’s website, and in particular, consult The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.
Special Mahalo to Chipper Wichman, Presley Wann and the entire community of Hāʻena for inviting/allowing me to make this film. The work you have done on Kauaʻi’s North Shore is a very inspiring example of what can happen when a community rallies together to be closer to Nature.
– Ella
Ps. You can go take a look at the video that was made to showcase the work of various nature conservationists and organizations from Hawaiʻi at the 2021 World Conservation Congress. Sabra and many other amazing people were there to share their knowledge, wisdom and manaʻo.
One quote in the video that inspires our current “Forest Calls” conservation effort is from Sam ‘Ohu’ Gon, Senior Scientist – Cultural Advisor (Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi):
“There is no word for Nature in the Hawaiian language. That means that Nature was not held apart from the community of people. When we look at the traditions and the stories that are the foundation of Hawaiian culture, we see that the natural world around us is viewed as part of the ancestral family that led eventually to people. So people are the youngest of the generations of life on this planet, and the youngest in Polynesian cultures are responsible for the health of the elders. So, when you look at that kind of relationship, when all the features of the world around you are viewed as ancestral to you and family, it is a much richer view of the world than viewing the planet that’s made up of commodities, and human beings as the consumers of those commodities. So it’s an amazing way to look at Nature, and it means that taking care of nature means taking care of yourself.”
Here’s the link if you want to see the video: IUCN 2021 WCC Hawaii Delegation
