The coconut tree is the giving tree, and a film about its past and future is a feature at the 2026 Hawaiʻi International Film Festival.
The title of the film is "Niu Forever," and its opening message is "kupu ka niu, kupu ke kānaka" — when the coconut grows, humanity flourishes.
Indrajit Gunasekara is a co-producer on the film. He previously joined The Conversation to talk about his role as vice president of the Koali Niu Coconut Gene Bank on Maui, and his passion for the niu was nurtured in his native Sri Lanka.
"We have a saying that when given generously, receive it generously," Gunasekara began. "And this is the kumu niu coconut tree. It gives us everything generously, and in our end, how generous are we in receiving?"
As a conservationist, he explained that there are three pillars in which the niu provides: nutritionally, culturally and ecologically.
According to Gunasekara, creating the film involved documenting four years of his coconut conservation work.
"Only very small window of the work … will be seen in the film," he explained.
And yet, after screening for the public, he was surprised by the community response that small window generated.
"I didn't see … how much it touched the community, how much that work touched people," he recalled.
"I didn't see when I was starting how powerful this is. How much it talks to the heart of the people as well as the identity of the place, identity of the trees, and the identity of a culture."
The final screening of "Niu Forever" will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. at Consolidated Theatres Kapolei.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 2, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
