The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu: Premiere In-Person Film Screening

Friday, June 17, 2022
5:30 – 9 p.m.
Castle Memorial Building Gallery & Great Lawn

General Admission: $20
Members: 50% discount ($10)
Pre-registration is highly recommended. Walk-ins will be admitted on a space-available basis.

5:30-6:30 p.m. | Exhibit gallery open
7-9 p.m. | Film screening + post-screening Q&A

In partnership with film directors and exhibit co-curators Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Bishop Museum is proud to present the premiere in-person screening of The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu, a feature documentary that premieres alongside the opening of a major exhibition of the same name.

Using rare archival materials, new historical findings, and vivid animation, The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu brings to life the legend of four monumental stones on Honolulu’s famous Waikīkī Beach. According to legend, the stones are a tribute to four māhū—people of dual male and female spirit—who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaiʻi and used their spiritual power to cure disease. Although the stones have survived for centuries, the true story behind them has been suppressed and the role of māhū erased. These stones represent a Hawaiian tradition of healing and gender diversity that is all but unknown to the millions of locals and tourists passing by. The film explores how, when, and why the legend was altered and the importance of protecting and preserving sacred spaces and traditional knowledge. This is also the first feature documentary film to be presented in ʻŌlelo Kanaka Niʻihau, the only form of the Hawaiian language unbroken by foreign contact.

Join us for the in-person premiere of this hour-long documentary for a one-night-only outdoor screening on Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn. The screening will be followed by a post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers and key creative partners. Guests are encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs and mats as seating is limited!

The documentary is a companion piece to the ongoing gallery exhibition, which will be on view in Bishop Museum’s Castle Memorial Building through Oct. 23, 2022. The gallery will be open for viewing prior to the screening. Please note that tickets are non-refundable. The film will be shown, rain or shine. Guests are encouraged to bring their own blankets and portable chairs. No coolers, or outside food & beverages, are allowed. Strollers welcome.

Please note that this is a special event that requires guests of members to pay the general admission rate. For more information on how to become a member, please see our membership page.