Moloka’i Bound

Centerpiece Film, 2024 Hawaii International Film Festival
Official Selection, 2024 Seattle International Film Festival

After years behind bars for drug charges, Kainoa is granted a second chance to reconnect with family, particularly his estranged teenage son. Bound by the terms of his parole – stay sober, hold a job, and remain on the island of O’ahu – Kainoa is determined to prove himself as a father. However, when he arrives at his son’s high school unannounced, he discovers much has changed in his absence. His son resents him and has distanced himself from their Hawaiian heritage, choosing to go by the Western name Jonathan.

Despite this, Kainoa works to regain his trust by taking him fishing and sharing food and stories from their culture. As they begin to heal their fractured relationship, old habits and negative influences from Kainoa’s past resurface. Their journey soon takes a dangerous turn and the police loom over their trail as they traverse deep waters.

Set against the stunning landscapes of Hawai’i, director Alika Tengan’s MOLOKA’I BOUND explores the darker realities of paradise, delving into themes of addiction, colonization, and Native identity in contemporary Hawai’i.

– Kalohe Danbara