A new short film at the Maui Ocean Center showcases the first humpback whales to return to Lahaina after the 2023 wildfires.
Photographer and Maui resident Daniel Sullivan is the creator of the film, titled "Koholā" — the Hawaiian word for whales. He has collected a decade's worth of images and sound recordings to showcase the majestic giants as symbols of healing and hope.
"I remember noticing the first whales to return several months after the fire, and it was just this sign of normalcy in such a world that had been torn apart for us. In Hawaiian culture, whales have always been a sign of hope and light, and in the Kumulipo, in the creation chant, they're a symbol of light in a time of darkness," he said.
He shared that this was his first venture putting together a whole film.
"I'd always been intimidated by all of the prospects of making a film, because I'm traditionally just a still photographer, and because I wanted to make this so badly — I actually taught myself how to do the sound editing, how to do the video color grading. I did the narration. So it was really a one-man band for this entire project, and it was just so I could get it done and create this film to be able to share it," he told HPR.
"I hope that when people come away from the film, they're left with just the importance of the humpback whales to our islands, to our culture. I think that it's so important to protect the environment and protect these creatures."
Sullivan's new documentary short, "Koholā," will be screened every Tuesday this month at 6 p.m. at the Maui Ocean Center Sphere. For more information, click here.
This interview aired on The Conversation on April 8, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
