A Christian movie called "The Islands" tells the tale and is due to hit theaters in September.
Written and directed by Tim Chey, a veteran of the faith-based genre, The Islands is a biopic about a female Hawaiian chieftain who converts to Christianity.
Events are set in 1824, a period of turmoil in the region's pre-U.S. history, when a faction of warriors aggressively pushes to reinstate human sacrifice to the mythical god of Kilauea Volcano, a practice that was banned just a few years earlier.
Enter missionaries John and Mary Thornton, played by John Savage and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino. They prove instrumental in bringing the local tribal leader, Kapiolani, to Christ.
Kapiolani, who is played by newcomer Teuira Shanti Napa, then staves off the efforts to go back to human sacrifice through a courageous demonstration of her new - and very bold - faith in God: she not only descends into the active volcano herself, but, in defiance of predictions and previous history, returns alive.
Chey splits his time between Hollywood and Hawaii and he clearly feels a genuine passion for this project.
"We're super excited that millions around the world will hear a story that has never been told in the movies...This will honor Hawaiian history and all the Hawaiian people."
To that end, the film includes some 800 native Hawaiian actors and was shot entirely in the state. In a word, the backdrops are truly stunning and the cinematography is beautiful.
Chey, who is still raising funds for the film's marketing campaign, hoped to roll it out in 1,500 theaters for a March 22nd debut, but on the IMDb website it now lists September. Until then, you can get a flavor for The Islands via the trailer...and even though it says "2018" on it, the film will be released in 2019.
Comments