Soul Fabric Films, a documentary production company, is putting together what looks to be a great film about the origins and cultural roots of outrigger canoeing...
http://web.mac.com/soulfabricfilms/soul_fabric_films/The_Voyagers.htmlFrom the film's home page,
"The Voyagers is an exciting adventure chronicling the historic 1400 mile paddle of a seafaring group of South Pacific Islanders along the entire span of the Hawaiian island chain.
The film reveals the rich cultural roots of the outrigger canoe by crafting an in-depth portrait of the Voyaging Society’s dynamic cultural and spiritual leader and a select number of the team of paddlers that he has assembled. The Voyagers tells the story of the voyage itself and gives voice to a number of Hawaiian kupuna who shed light on the rich tradition of the outrigger canoe.
The main characters of The Voyagers are the expert seamen who navigate the open ocean using only the swells and celestial bodies to guide their way. They are the boat builders who carve massive canoes from the trunks of single trees. They are the village elders guiding young warriors to rebuild their ancestral fish ponds with 200,000 boulders stacked by hand. They are the keepers of ancestral knowledge revealed when they “talk story” with their community. Together, these are the individuals responsible for curating their community’s traditions.
The Voyagers documents this epic journey, while painting a portrait of the paddlers and exploring the history, tradition, and cultural relevance of outrigger canoe paddling in the Pacific Islands."
