In the trailer for "Huli," two friends sit on a bench by the ocean, talking about what may be holding them back and how to move forward to heal from intergenerational trauma — right after their fight in a boxing match.
"You ever think about where you come from?" the friend asked.
Set in the Makiki neighborhood, the short film "Huli" tells the story of Sol, who ran from New York to Hawaiʻi to start a new life and train in boxing with his friend Elijah, a Native Hawaiian coach.
Sol, a Black biracial man, lives in his car and craves the American dream of wealth. However, he lacks balance, restraint and roots. When a hot-shot boxer visits Honolulu scouting for the next star, Sol tries to prove himself but will have to face his friend.
"It's based loosely on real-life friendships between myself and different people in our community," said Daniel Croix, a Hawaiʻi-based actor and filmmaker. "And it's about cross-cultural friendship, identity and connecting to our ancestors."
The short film debuted at the Honolulu African American Film Festival last week. The cast is comprised of more than 100 Native Hawaiian and non-Native Hawaiian artists on Oʻahu.
"Huli" was inspired by the social movements in Hawaiʻi and the U.S. continent, according to Croix.
"I could see what was happening in Hawaiʻi, a new resurgence of arts and culture, addressing history and the effects of colonization," he said. "I felt that it was really connected to the story of this movement of Black liberation, being activated through so many protests and movements, and really all around the world, we're feeling a shift."
Croix is from Buffalo, New York, with ancestral lineage from Nigeria, Ireland, Scotland, Ghana, Senegal, Angola, Mali and England. In the film, he plays the character Sol, a boxer who moved to Hawaiʻi from New York.
He has starred in "The Oval" on BET Network, appeared in "Love Victor" on Hulu and the upcoming series "Manhunt" on Apple TV+. He's also known for his work on stage in "Much Ado" at the Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park in New York.
Croix said this latest 12-minute film took about a year to make, but the conversations about creating it happened over several years.
"The process was beautiful and community-oriented," he said. "A lot of my friends and family members and neighbors collaborated on the film."
Although the film's title, "Huli," can mean to flip, turn or change someone's opinion, Croix said the word has a deep history and significance in the art space and the Hawaiian Renaissance.
"It was activated as a rallying call for Native Hawaiian rights for solidarity, so activating this word not only calls together that community who may have had previous history with but it also brings up a lot of themes that the film itself brings, a reminder of pre-colonial contact, a call for change, a reminder to remember and so much more," he said.
The film includes but is not limited to, the works of:
- Elijah Kala McShane, a Native Hawaiian practitioner of healing arts practices.
- Max Mooney, a New York-born filmmaker, producer and editor.
- William Rouse, a producer and global cinematographer.
- Phil Schlieder, a producer based on Oʻahu.
Croix said he hopes the film will premiere at future film festivals.
