And We Became One

And We Became One

Through this class, and a Hawaiian studies class that I have taken this semester, I met several people who also had negative attitudes about “haole” people.  I understand their anger and frustration, as sometimes as a haole, I feel the exact same anger toward the very same things.  I was speaking with a class mate last week who is of native Hawaiian ancestry and she asked me, “What is ‘other’ in reference? Am I ‘other?’”  I told her that she was further from being the other than I was.  At least she knows where she came from.  I am Caucasian.  Beyond that, at this point, only God knows.  I do not know where I originally came from, and neither does my family.  There are more of us “others” than any other race, that do not know where we came from and do not know where we belong.  Is this, perhaps, why we attempt to take what belongs to others?  Are we in search of finding something that we can claim because we haven’t been able to cultivate a culture as efficiently as the Hawaiians did? 

I would love to see a movie where the two come together, the “haole” attempts to reconcile the wrong they have done, and where forgiveness is extended for doing so.  Imagine how many white people or “others” are living here that also want the wrongs to be righted, who care deeply for this land that we live on, and who would love to see everyone unite as an example of the power that can be created when minds come together to create the Hawaii that existed before it was tainted with greed and misunderstanding.  How about a movie that reclaims the Aloha Spirit and people live and represent their differences with pride and appreciation for the diversity that can freely exist if we allow it to. 

Title:  And We Became One

Plot:  Two neighbors at odds are brought together by their community to create a unified neighborhood that becomes a symbol of unity and peace for others around them to follow.

Setting:  A typical diverse neighborhood anywhere in Hawaii.  Other scenes should be a part of the movie that includes beautiful local spots that are not typical tourist attractions, but local favorites that show the diversity of the people that live there.

Storyline.  A haole man and a Hawaiian man that are neighbors constantly fight over mindless things such as boundary lines and noisy animals, but use their racist views against each other in a battle that symbolizes more than just minor irritation with the small details.  A diverse group of neighbors representing Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Indian, etc are also disturbed by their constant fighting in an otherwise happy peaceful neighborhood, so they come together as a community to bring these two together.  Through a series of twists and turns, they realize that they can be more productive with each other’s help and they begin to work together and eventually become friends.  The highlights of the movie focus on the conversations these have about the pasts that led them to foolishly react to each other the way they did.  The movie includes ideas of community sustainability and ecological preservation and education.

Casting:  There is so much hidden undiscovered talent in Hawaii, with many individuals who do not have the knowledge or resources to get themselves notices, I would like to do casting in Hawaii with local talent first.

Music:  Same as casting, discovering hidden local talent and offering opportunities not offered to them in any other circumstance.