Moke Action

Two guys like scrap until aunty scold dem.

(translation) When an unfortunate accident occurs, two young men are about to break into fisticuffs, but out of respect for their elder, they subside their differences and make amends.

Comments from the director ʻĀina Paikai:

This film was shot on Halloween day in 2009 as apart of the Student Media Art (SMART) Exchange between the University of Hawaiʻi’s Academy for Creative Media and the Shanghai University’s School of Film and Television.  The SMART Exchange, sponsored in part by the Ito En Foundation, is an effort to use media as a way to bridge cultures.  Moke Action is one of two films that were produced that weekend.  You can imagine the amount of chaos and confusion through the language barriers, but it was a fun time that produced great results.

I’ve always hated films where the Hawaiʻi based characters speak terrible Pidgin English.  A majority of the time, the language sounds forced and inaccurate.  This film was dedicated to making a film in Pidgin the right way, from a local perspective.

Too often Pidgin gets attacked as a “dummy” language, but I wanted to showcase its usefulness and at the same time, poke a little fun at those on the opposite end, who speak extremely proper English.  I feel Pidgin is Hawaiʻi’s own unique dialect, and as a native speaker, I find it comforting.

Although the film has garnered international attention, having been screened at the 2010 Shanghai International Film Festival, it’s greatest success has been locally, winning the Audience Award for the Academy for Creative Media Award Ceremony and having multiple showings at the 2010 Hawai’i International Film Festival.

Mahalo to everyone that helped on this project (too many list here; please see credits), but most importantly I’d like to thank the University of Hawai’i, ACM, Shanghai University, Anne Misawa, the ʻŌiwiTV ʻOhana, Yuen’s Grocery and Liquor Store, and the magnificent people of Nānākuli.  This is one of my favorite films to date and I hope to continue to make more for the people of Hawaiʻi.