THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MAUI
By Louis Marroquin
Movies, food, and
culture share top billing during Hawaii’s new film festival.
Emerging from the plane at Maui’s Kahului Airport, I suddenly felt I had been transported to that wonderful land of Oz. Gone was the flat, black-and-white, concrete jungle of the bustling metropolis I had departed 10 hours earlier. In its place was a laid-back, plumeria-scented, Technicolor paradise. As I breathed in the comforting breeze and gave the mountainous landscape a CinemaScopic pan, something told me I wouldn’t be clicking my heels to go home at the end of this journey.
I had come to this Hawaiian island for four days to attend the inaugural Maui Film Festival, the christening of what is expected to become an annual event. When I got the assignment to cover the festival, my immediate and enthusiastic response was, “I’m there!” But in the back of my mind, I wondered, why would anyone want to travel to glorious Maui — rich in resorts, beaches, cuisine, golf, and year-round perfect temperatures — only to sit in some darkened theater all day watching movies?
As images of Maui flickered before my eyes as I explored the island during the next few days, though, I began to realize that Maui was the perfect “theater” for a film festival. It had all the elements that guarantee blockbuster entertainment, and has ticket buyers coming back for more: an interesting cast of characters, romance, adventure, twists and turns, and some pretty tasty concessions.
I arrived on the island with only enough time to get my bearings before the opening night festivities began. My destination was Wailea, a gorgeous stretch of beachside resorts, each with its own distinctive personality, on the south side of the island, where the majority of the festival’s events would take place. Since much of Maui’s small mass (729 square miles) is dedicated to the two volcanoes that form the island, it’s relatively easy to get around, with minimal roadways lining the outer banks. The biggest hurdle is maneuvering the similarities between the names of streets, towns, and resorts. Because there are just 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet (five vowels: a, e, i, o, u; and seven consonants: h, k, l, m, n, p, w), I quickly found that every letter counts, and skimming is strictly prohibited — especially when I mistakenly turned onto Ulua Beach when I was looking for my condo at Elua Village.
Destination Resorts Hawaii had arranged for me to stay in a condo for two nights. My remaining two nights would be spent at the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, less than a mile up the road. The experiences were vastly different (one private and homey, a perfect getaway for the regular traveler wanting to avoid the touristy trappings; the other active and tropical, a complete Hawaiian experience for the first-time or occasional traveler to the islands). But both properties sit off Wailea’s golden beaches, allowing for a constant calming oceanic serenade as the waves rolled into shore.
The blue waters called my name from the condo patio. I almost expected to hear the haunting strains of “Bali Hai” as I strolled into the surf, knee-deep, to get a better view of the neighboring islands in the distance. I looked down and saw what I had been hearing about all my life. I really could see my toes through the crystal clear water. I nodded to a man who was fishing from shore. He had come from San Francisco, and was catching his dinner as he had the night before. He couldn’t remember if he’d been in Hawaii four days or a week. And it didn’t matter. For now he was on Maui. What came next was the furthest thing from his mind.
OPENING NIGHT
My concerns about spending my Hawaiian journey
sequestered in a theater were immediately dismissed when I arrived at the Maui
Film Festival’s opening event and discovered that what was dubbed Celestial
Cinema at Wailea was no misnomer. Laid out on a hill just beyond the Wailea Gold
& Emerald Golf Course golf shop, the cinema was an under-the-stars theater
on the lawn. The natural slopes of the course’s scenic training facility
provided the “stadium seating” environment that megaplex aficionados have
come to expect. Casually dressed attendees came early to secure their spot,
laying out blankets, setting up low-back beach chairs, munching on goodies from
the snack bar. I rented a chair and found my place among the mass of 1,500 that
had flocked to see a clay-animated rooster voiced by Mel Gibson in a prerelease
screening of the summer hit, Chicken
Run.
As the sun began to set, and the field lights illuminated the large white screen that had been erected at the foot of the hill, I was reminded of those many summer nights of my childhood when my dad would take me to the local drive-in to take in a double (sometimes a triple) feature. All that was missing were the cruising autos and the staticky speakers.
Each night’s event began with chant, hula, and song. There were no fiery batons as in the showy luaus tourists seem to crave. Instead, this was a celebration of Hawaii’s roots. Following a short concert, the theater went dark, leaving only the glow of the moon and the twinkling stars. A cool Maui breeze wafted through the crowd as a local astronomer directed our eyes to the skies (as she would each night before the feature presentation), pointing out constellations that would never be visible amid the bright lights of the big city. Then, in a moment that couldn’t have been better planned by Spielberg himself, a shooting star flashed across the sky, sending a wave of “ah” throughout the audience. Clearly, it was show time.
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Some people come to Maui and
never leave. After less than 24 hours on the island, I was seriously considering
becoming one of them. Chatting with a couple at the first of a series of nightly
receptions (which followed each evening’s main attraction), I discovered that
their road to Hawaii had been a winding one. They had lived in Chicago, San
Francisco, the South of France, and various stops that were left on the
cutting-room floors of their memories. But when they settled in Maui nine years
ago, they decided to pack away their moving trunks for good. With the island’s
wealth of fine dining opportunities, calming beauty, and easy accessibility, it
was easy to see why.
Though the climate, scenery, and 42 miles of spectacular beaches are Maui’s obvious draws, the food alone was enough to make me consider tearing up my return ticket home. Hawaiian cuisine has a strong Asian influence. Here you’ll find an assortment of Japanese and Thai restaurants. Sushi bars are as prominent on Maui as seafood restaurants. And Sam Choy, Hawaii’s most renowned chef, has two locations on the island. On Maui, you’ll discover dishes prepared with native sweet potato, taro, and pohole fern, and island favorites such as sea urchin and limpet, as well as more typical seafood fare as mahimahi, ahi, and lobster. No matter how scrumptious the food is, though, the atmosphere is the island’s greatest condiment. Snacking on the Renaissance resort’s sinful Maui onion rings and deceptively smooth Mai Tais is made even more tasty under a trellis adorned with sky flowers, where cooing doves are not afraid to sidle up to you in hopes of a handout.
The film festival’s Taste of Wailea event provided a culinary explosion, as the executive chefs from eight of the area’s resorts and restaurants rolled out some of their personal favorites. These experimental chefs were not afraid of waking up the taste buds with such fare as Chef John Zaner’s Hibachi Shrimp Kushiyaki and Pickled Sushi Rice with 7-Spice Teriyaki Glaze (Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa) or Chef Katsuyuki Ishikawa’s Black Pepper Duckling with Pommery Mustard (Diamond Resort Hawaii). Served high on a sloping hill above the Celestial Cinema, the taste fest also offered a breathtaking view of the setting sun as it glistened on the distant ocean — the perfect visual dessert after an elegant evening of wine and cuisine.
TWISTS AND TURNS
Festival events ran deep into the night. On various
nights, attendees could choose between late movies, parties that lasted until
two in the morning (where live music ranged from salsa to urban), or a romantic,
Champagne-and-dessert, midnight cruise off the island. But since events at the
indoor Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center didn’t usually
begin until late afternoon, the days were free to discover Maui on your own.
Milling around before screenings, I heard festival-goers talking about their
morning adventures. How one guy had submerged his head into the surf only to
come face to face with a sea turtle that was just as startled by the
intruder’s presence as the snorkler was by the fact that the turtle’s head
was the same size as his. Or how another man had had a dog of a time on the
speedy greens of Makena Golf Club’s South Course that morning.
With 16 course layouts on the island, golf is a prime activity on Maui. The majority of the courses are positioned right on the picturesque coasts, offering spectacular, some might say distracting, views of the Pacific Ocean and the neighboring islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe. The immaculate and challenging courses of Hawaii are a story unto themselves (and, in fact, will be in an upcoming issue of Private Clubs).
Water is key in most Maui activities — snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing, and simply sunning on the beach on your choice of sand. On Maui, you’ll find gray, golden, even black sand. Name your color. The festival’s off-season, late-spring schedule, unfortunately, eliminates such high-season activities as surfing, windsurfing, and whale watching, but unless that’s your game you won’t be at a loss. Instead, ride a mule up a mountain, or join the early birds who take a predawn shuttle up the volcano to watch a wondrous sunrise, then take a 38-mile guided bike hike back down.
Although 75 percent of Maui is wilderness, the island is more than just action and adventure. Some of the resorts offer ocean-side lomilomi (massage) and spas for some rejuvenating pampering. And for shopping, the Grand Wailea Hotel (sort of a Vegas/Maui mix) houses a winding mall where you can find clothing, jewelry, art, and more. The new Shops at Wailea complex, conveniently located on Wailea’s coast amid the resorts, golf courses, and fine dining, brings high-profile retail to the island with such tenants as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Coach, and Cartier.
One of the joys of
Maui is in the surprises. Not every adventure is spelled out on a neon marquee.
On one morning exploration, I stopped at what appeared to be a tiny plant
nursery to see what native flora might be available, only to find an ambling
tropical arboretum tucked away in the back. Another afternoon, after strolling
along the beach and hitting the water, I watched curiously as several small
groups hiked over some jagged rocks, sharing knowing glances with other groups
returning from the other side. What was that about? Having seen way too many
mystery movies, I decided to do some sleuthing. Following their path, I emerged
on the other side to find a Blue
Lagoon oasis where … well, let’s just say, if you forgot to pack your
swimsuit, that would not be a problem.
THE ACTION SEQUENCE
Determined to see a waterfall before I left Maui, I
headed from my Wailea base with guidebook in hand one morning. Just east of Paia,
a small surfing community populated with organic food stores and hemp shops, I
stopped on the side of the road where my map said I’d find Twin Falls. No sign
directed me to the falls, nor was there a parking lot with someone hawking
spaces for five bucks or so a pop. Just a fruit stand and a bolted red gate gave
me any indication this was more than a highway shoulder. I climbed over the gate
as I had seen a trio of teens do, and headed up a dusty trail, presumably toward
the falls.
After maneuvering my way over fallen tree trunks and across a jagged riverbed, I found the tropical swimming hole. It was not the rushing, pounding, Last of the Mohicans falls I was hoping for. (For that, I was told, I would have to take one of the helicopter tours to the east end of the island.) But it was a refreshing oasis for all who gathered in the cool waters — families, couples, young, old — and for those adventurous enough to swim out to the splashing falls.
A hush came over the gathering as two of the teens appeared at the top of the falls; the third perched himself on a rock next to the one I sat on. The quiet was broken by the splash of the duo cannonballing in succession. “You gonna go next?” I turned to see the third pal looking directly at me. I looked up, retracing the aerial path the boys had just taken. What would Harrison Ford do? Crank up the cliff-hanger music…. I wish I could say this is the part where for my love of journalism and the sake of a good story I climbed to the top of the rock and did a perfect Johnny Weissmuller dive into the too-shallow pool below. But this was not a movie. I looked at my watch, smirked, and said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to think so.” Then I headed back up the trail to my rental car. I had to get back to the festival for a screening.
THE CLOSING CREDITS
In one of the films shown at the festival, Demi
Moore was trapped in a parallel universe, unsure which of her two lives was real
and which was but a dream. Sitting in the plane, heading home, I had a similar
dilemma. My mind reeled with all I had absorbed in the last few days — the
fantasy images from the various movies I had viewed; the reality of the
island’s beauty and adventure I had left behind. As I closed my eyes and
leaned back, it already all seemed like a dream. There was so much more I would
have liked to have done — movies I would have liked to have seen that butted
heads on the schedule; areas of the island such as historic Lahaina, picturesque
Hana, and the Haleakala crater that were a bit too far to venture to with the
festival’s packed agenda. But I guess that would have to wait for the sequel.
a fest is born
With a tip of his hat to renowned film festivals
such as Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride, Maui Film Festival director Barry
Rivers put on a show, and people did indeed come. Five thousand people, in fact.
But what was it about this first-time festival that set it apart from the others? “This festival takes pride in the presentation of compassionate, transformative, and life-affirming stories in exemplary films,” Rivers says, “by which I mean, films that are really about people moving toward the ‘light’ and helping others do likewise.”
While the more mainstream cinematic fare was viewed at the outdoor Celestial Cinema at Wailea (the south side’s resort district), avant-garde foreign films and edgy documentaries were presented about 30 minutes away at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s indoor theater. The Center also was the site of panel sessions, where directors, producers, public relations reps, and film critics gathered to discuss the ins and outs of promoting independent film and the future of American independent cinema.
No film festival would be complete without a celebrity sighting or two, and the Maui fest did not disappoint. Actor Woody Harrelson was on hand to present Grass, a documentary on marijuana he narrates, and to offer a few choice political views. And director Tim Burton made an appearance to accept the first Silversword Award. Named after a rare native plant that grows on the slopes of the Haleakala volcano, the award honors artists for their body of work and contributions to the art of filmmaking.
Rivers started the Maui Film Festival as a weekly series, bringing the Hawaii premieres of many Oscar-nominated films and art-house favorites to the island. But his goal was always to expand it to a full-fledged event. Next year’s event, June 13-17, will add a fifth day to its schedule. He says his long-term goal is to expand the festival to 10 days.
Hawaii & the Movies
Beginning as early as 1913, when Hollywood first used the
island as a location for two one-reelers, Hawaii has been a prime setting in the
movies. Such indelible images as Elvis Presley strumming a ukulele (and
swiveling his hips) in Blue
Hawaii, or Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr’s torrid beach embrace
in From
Here to Eternity have only added to the mystique of
the islands. Through the years, the various islands have gladly accepted when
Hollywood location scouts came calling, earning its self-proclaimed nickname of
“Hollywood’s Tropical Backlot” by serving as location for some 200 movies
(and counting). Sometimes the Hawaiian islands have portrayed themselves and
sometimes they have doubled as fictitious exotic locales. Here are 20 celluloid
favorites that have been, at least partially, filmed in Hawaii.
1. Curly Top, Shirley Temple (1935)
2. Pagan Love Song, Esther Williams (1950)
3. From Here to Eternity, Burt Lancaster (1953)
4. The Caine Mutiny, Humphrey Bogart (1954)
5. The High and the Mighty, John Wayne (1954)
6. Mister Roberts, Henry Fonda (1955)
7. South Pacific, Mitzi Gaynor (1958)
8. The Old Man and the Sea, Spencer Tracy (1958)
9. Gidget Goes Hawaiian, James Darren (1961)
10. Blue Hawaii, Elvis Presley (1961)
11. None But the Brave, Frank Sinatra (1965)
12. Hawaii, Julie Andrews (1966)
13. Papillon, Dustin Hoffman (1973)
14. King Kong, Jessica Lange (1976)
15. 10, Dudley Moore (1979)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford (1980)
17. Body Heat, William Hurt (1981)
18. Honeymoon in Vegas, Nicolas Cage (1992)
19. Jurassic Park, Sam Neill (1992)
20. The Lost World, Jeff Goldblum (1997)
Source: Hawaii Film
Office.
travel with a
purpose
Sundance
(Jan. 18-28)
Actor/director Robert Redford’s brainchild has
grown into the top festival for independent filmmakers. You’ll find lots of
dealmaking, a slew of hot stars-on-the-rise, and the best in edgy film fare at
this Utah festival. www.sundancefilm.com.
Cannes
(May 9-20)
The granddaddy of film fests, Cannes is the place
for the famous and infamous of the movie industry to show their wares — and
their films. Think French Riviera, high-octane celebs, blockbuster movies, and
assorted sultry starlets. www.festival-cannes.org.
Maui
(June 13-17)
With a successful year behind it (about 5,000 attended this
year’s four-day event), the festival promises its second wave will be even
bigger and bolder than the first. www.mauifilmfestival.com.
Telluride
(Aug. 30-Sept. 2)
This may be the smallest of the major film festivals, but
more than 5,000 attend this Colorado event each Labor Day weekend just to see
what surprises will pop up on its hush-hush schedule. You never know who or what
to expect. www.telluridefilmfestival.com.