Dear Aloha

“Aloha sustains Hawai’ians by reminding us who we are.”

Hawai’i is one of the most beautiful places on earth and the Kanaka (Native Hawai’ians) feel a strong connection to their homeland. However, over the years life on the islands has become too expensive for the Kanaka to live and thrive. Many move to the mainland to raise their families including director Cris Romento’s family who moved to Vancouver, Washington over thirty years ago. In Romento’s short documentary Dear Aloha, she interviews members of the Hawai’ian diaspora, in particular her father Eric who still mourns losing his homeland. He still feels the pride of his homeland as many in the diaspora do.

The film explores this displacement of Hawai’ians and the ongoing fight for the Kanaka to stay. A tender and bittersweet film with a lot of heart and a bit of hope for the future. I would love to see this expanded into a full-length feature. There are many films about immigration but not enough about diasporas. And the plight of the Hawai’ian diaspora is one that definitely needs to be spotlighted.

Description: “Two Native Hawai’ians living in the Pacific Northwest reflect on how Aloha sustains them amidst distance, loss, and longing.” (source)

Dear Aloha is part of 2025 SIFF’s cINeDIGENOUS festival program.