Out of State

The colonial relationship between the United States and Hawaii manifests itself in many ways: one is the displacement of convicted indigenous Hawaiian felons to a private prison facility in Arizona. Once inside, these men rediscover their Kanaka Maoli traditions. Finding emotional support in certain Indigenous practices helps them imagine how to rebuild their lives after prison.
This film accompanies David and Hale from the time of their release to the end of their first year back in Hawaii. Their accounts reveal the stress of incarceration and the need to reconnect with their collective Indigenous identity and to navigate life after prison. As we watch them perform traditional Maoli hulas in long, static shots, we learn how these men embody their new identity and how it can help them abandon old patterns of substance abuse and other addictive behaviour. Hawaiian director and producer Ciara Lacy’s previous work in investigative journalism and producer Beau Basset’s background in law have laid the foundations for this powerful depiction of the exclusion that Kanaka Maoli men face after prison, and their search for a place in society. Ciara Lacy was a NATIVe Fellow in 2018.
by Ciara Lacy USA 2017 English, Hawaiian 79’ Colour Documentary form

Crew

Director Ciara Lacy
Cinematography Chapin Hall
Music Tyler Strickland
Sound Design Joe Milner
Executive Producer Terry Leonard
Producer Beau Bassett
Co-Producer Jeff Consiglio
Editing Jeff Consiglio

Produced by

Out of State LLC

Ciara Lacy

This native Hawaiian filmmaker is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and studied at Yale University. She produces documentary content for film and television and has managed independent feature films. Her work has been broadcast on channels including PBS, ABC, TLC, Discovery, Bravo and A&E. She has won awards including the Merata Mita Fellowship from the Sundance Institute and is a recipient of a grant from the Princess Grace Foundation.

Filmography

2017 Out of State 2018 My Aloha Dream Home

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2019