Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i

Sharks of Hawaii

April 2021 •English

Nearly 40 shark species live in the warm waters of Hawaii's volcanic islands, including white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks and tiger sharks.

The Rain Follows The Forest

January 2012 •English

Catch Jason Scott Lee in “The Rain Follows The Forest” as he sets out on a journey to learn about sustainable life in our island home. Through interesting conversations, he learns about Hawaiʻi’s fragile fresh water supply and discovers connections to our upland forest environment.

Spirit of the Reindeer

January 2019 •Swedish

The third and final part of a trilogy based on Arctic creation myths. The film is a multifaceted tissue weave of myths and traditions reflected in the symbiosis between reindeer, human and landscape.

Sisters Rising

February 2020 •English

"Sisters Rising" is the story of six Native American women fighting to restore personal and tribal sovereignty in the face of ongoing colonial violence against indigenous women in the United States. Dawn was in the Army, now she’s a tribal cop in the midst of the North Dakota oil boom that threatens to pull the last threads of her Native culture apart. Patty teaches indigenous women’s self-defense across the Great Plains of her people. Sarah is an attorney and scholar fighting to overturn restrictions on tribal sovereignty and increase legislative protections for Native women. Loreline and Lisa are grassroots advocates working outside of the system to support survivors of violence and influence legislative change. Chalsey is writing the first anti-sex trafficking code to be introduced to a reservation’s tribal court.

Tua

September 2020 •English

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a generational football talent, embarks on a journey that began from a childhood family prophecy. Follow Tua as he attempts to overcome a career-threatening injury and rise as one of the most uniquely skilled players in the history of the game.

Abdzé Wede´Õ – Vírus não tem cura?

December 2021 •Portuguese

The documentary reveals the impact of the Coronavirus on one of the indigenous but affected by the disease in the country. Narrated in first person by Divino, which highlights the desperate struggle of his village, Sangradouro, east of Mato Grosso, to survive the most tragic epidemic known by the Xavante nation. Crossed with archival material and images captured during a pandemic, the film seeks to relate a traumatic past with the reality of Covid-19.

Caribou in the Archive

November 2018 •English

In Caribou in the Archive, rustic VHS home video of a Cree woman hunting caribou in the 1990s is combined with NFB archival film footage of northern Manitoba from the 1950s. In this experimental film, the difference between homemade video and official historical record is considered. Northern Indigenous women hunting is at the heart of this personal found footage film in which the filmmaker describes the enigmatic events that led to saving an important piece of family history from being lost forever.

Nuxalk Radio

June 2020 •English

A day in the life of 91.1, Nuxalk Radio, a radio station built to help keep the Nuxalk language alive while broadcasting the laws of the lands and waters.

I speak français

March 2019 •French

Holo Mai Pele

October 2001 •English

This is the story of the Fire Goddess Pele and the dynamics of her relationship with her sister Hi’iaka. Six years ago, the renowned dance company Halau 'O Kekuhi began the ambitious undertaking of assembling and recreating the legend for modern audiences, translating it to the contemporary stage by combining the traditions of Hawaiian chant and hula with innovative elements of Western theater.

The Ninth Island

Invalid date •English

"The Ninth Island" tells the story of Hawaii’s indigenous population and its struggles to stay connected to its ancestral home.

No Address

January 1988 •English

This feature-length documentary by Alanis Obomsawin examines the plight of Native people who come to Montreal searching for jobs and a better life. Often arriving without money, friends or jobs, a number of them quickly become part of the homeless population. Both dislocated from their traditional values and alienated from the rest of the population, they are torn between staying and returning home.

Nagasawa Masami x Mizukawa Asami: Hawaii Onna Jitensha Futari Tabi

December 2009 •Japanese

Lovely NHK TV show featuring friends Masami Nagasawa and Asami Mizukawa travelling by bicycle through Hawaii. Beautiful nature views of the island on this cute program aired back in 2009. Masami does not look nature friendly at all, cleaning and carefully examining vegetables and fruit before having a bite. But she looks very cute with long hair. Asami looks like someone I would like to be friends with, she is fun and loud and not as afraid of trying new things as Masami. Hawaii seen like this looks like paradise, especially the sunshine from the top of the mountain.

Amarok's Song - The Journey to Nunavut

January 1998 •English

In this feature-length documentary, three generations of the Caribou Inuit family come together to tell the story of their journey as Canada's last nomads. From the independent life of hunting on the Keewatin tundra to taking the reins of the new territory of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, we see it all. The film is the result of a close collaboration between Ole Gjerstad, a southern Canadian, and Martin Kreelak, an Inuk. It's Martin's family that we follow, as the story is told through his own voice, through those of the Elders, and through those of the teens and young adults who were born in the settlements and form the first generation of those growing up with satellite TV and a permanent home.

The Sand Island Story

January 1981 •English

This short documentary chronicles a four-month period between 1979 and 1980 when residents of Hawaii's Sand Island "squatter" community attempted to resist eviction from the Honolulu shoreline - resulting in displacement, arrests, and the destruction of a community.

El final del día

April 2015 •Spanish

The film takes place on December 21, 2012, while the people of the town of Quillagua await the supposed "end of the world" that the Mayans predicted for that day.

Big Wave

May 1984 •English

Big Wave is a documentary directed by Walt Mulconery and published on May 25, 1984 that presents the types of outdoor and risky sports present on the west coast of the United States such as paragliding, surfing, skydiving, bmx or the BASE jumping together with others, going from Hawaii to Texas through California to present them.

Before They Fall

August 2021 •English

Conservation groups, First Nations, and scientists come together in this timely short film, as a decades-long battle to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC escalates at Fairy Creek (the last unprotected, intact valley on southern Vancouver Island). The film explores the characters’ individual relationships with ancient forests, and why it’s imperative we collectively protect them. It touches on potential solutions, like a transition away from old-growth in the future of logging, and Indigenous sovereignty.

Fairy Creek Blockade - As I See It

Invalid date •English

Mainland reporter hears about protest on Vancouver Island and decides to visit and see it for himself. He spends time to meet people there from both sides, revealing what it is really all about.

The Living Stone

February 1958 •English

The Living Stone is a 1958 Canadian short documentary film directed by John Feeney about Inuit art. It shows the inspiration behind Inuit sculpture. The Inuit approach to the work is to release the image the artist sees imprisoned in the rough stone. The film centres on an old legend about the carving of the image of a sea spirit to bring food to a hungry camp. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.