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5.23.2016

Native Hawaiian culture meets street art in 'Mele Murals'

Help fund the latest documentary from Tad Nakamura.



Here's a great film project that would use your support... There are just a few hours left to pitch in to Mele Murals, the latest documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Tad Nakamura. Mele Murals is a story that navigates the complexities of Native Hawaiian cultural identity through urban street art.

Set against the resurgence of Hawaiian language and culture of the past twenty years, Mele Murals follows two former illegal graffiti writers turned community artists -- Estria Miyashiro (aka Estria) and John Hina (aka Prime) -- and their quest to connect people and place through mural making. The film shows how public art rooted in underground graffiti unexpectedly but powerfully fuses with Native Hawaiian traditions and contemporary life to impact local youth, the rural community of Waimea, and most of all the artists.

Here's the trailer:




The project is currently raising post-production funds through Kickstarter to cover, among other things, final editing color correction, audio engineering, licensing and community screenings. As of this writing, they've already surpassed their $30,000 goal, but as with all indie projects, every little bit helps.


Perhaps coolest of all, pledge rewards include some pretty cool signed limited edition prints by artists Prime and Estira. For further information about Mele Murals, and to make a pledge, visit the Kickstarter.


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