DISTANT LEARNING

A Rapanui filmmaker and father living in the American Midwest never imagined he would lose his ability to return to the land of his ancestors. With airplane travel cut off to his home island of Rapa Nui to prevent the spread of COVID 19, Sergio Rapu is isolated and detached from his culture. As the pandemic continues to grow, Sergio and Elena decide not to send their eldest son back to preschool. Instead, in an attempt to feel more connected, Sergio takes on the task of teaching Koa and his younger brother Tai Mana the little that he knows about his culture’s language, arts, and mythologies. At the same time, Sergio takes steps to strengthen his own cultural understanding by enrolling in a virtual Rapanui language class and building. a traditional umu, earth oven, in their backyard. As summer quickly turns to winter. and snow begins to fall, the Rapu family attempts to light their new umu and comes to terms with what it means to be islanders living outside of the Pacific.

THIS FILM IS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND. 

Plays in

PACIFIC SHOWCASE

For many years, CAAMFest has partnered with Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC) to bring stories from the Pacific Islands to Bay Area audiences. We are thrilled to continue this legacy through our virtual festival. 2021 marks PIC’s 30th anniversary and we celebrate their rich legacy of impact telling stories and making positive change in the world.

PACIFIC SHOWCASE SHORTS

Through a partnership with Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC), every festival CAAMFest celebrates new Hawaiian and Pacific Islander…