A short film that follows the story of a Marshallese adopted is being showcased at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival.
“Iakwe: Hello, Goodbye,” directed by New York-based filmmaker Nathan Fitch, is a scripted drama based on the true life events of Jacob Aija Aini Hawkes.
He was born in the Marshall Islands and was adopted by a family from Utah, where he was raised. He later encountered his birth mother's sister by chance as a traveling salesperson in Arkansas.
“It was kind of emotional, too, because my wonder and curiosity was, ‘Whoa, I also came from another family from across the ocean,” he said.
Hawkes is a first-time actor. While the 15-minute film is based on true events, he played a fictionalized character, reflecting from his own experience.
During that time, his birth mother died.
“I was just thinking about her, and so I had to channel that into the acting and try to portray that the best I could,” he said.
Lailanie Gadia, the producer of the film, said viewers said watching the film feels like a documentary instead of a fictional film.
She said viewers said that it almost feels like a documentary instead of a fictional film.
“What I really want to support is the lived experiences of Marshallese adoptees, which we don't actually hear about,” she said.
The film will be shown on Nov. 15 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.
