Directors Joan Lander and Puhipau (working as Maka o ka ‘Āina – “the eyes of the land”) and their production team spent twelve days capturing on video the proceedings of the Peoples’ International Tribunal Hawai’i in 1993 in which the United States and the State of Hawai’i were put on trial for crimes against the native people of Hawai’i, the Kanaka Maoli. This documentary is the result of those recordings
“The Tribunal” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
A panel of international judges arrived in the State of Hawaii, including academics and legal from countries including Canada, the US (both of which are referred to by their native names), Japan and Korea, to hear the charges, which included genocide, ethnocide, the taking of sovereign government and the destruction of the environment. Unfortunately, the other side, that of the US government was not present although invited, resulting in proceedings that are truthful, but remain utterly one-sided.
During the days of testimonies by locals and various experts on the history of Hawaii, the members of the Tribunal also traveled to the five islands to hear the opinions and ask the locals about their problems. This interactions emerge as equally informative, dramatic through the blights the US law has imposed on the locals, and even occasionally funny, since a number of people who have been detained multiple times seem to retain their sense of humor.
The purpose of the Tribunal is not to condemn or punish, but to call upon the United States and the world to recognize that the sovereignty of Hawaii has never been extinguished, and also to demand for the restoration of all lands to be returned to the Kanaka Maoli people who have a claim. Essentially to present the issues the locals face to the international community and to highlight the role foreign countries played in what is happening in Hawaii.
Through the testimonies, the questions of the judges and graphics, archival footage of photos and films, visit to the actual areas the people speaking refer to, the filmmakers manage to present a rather analytical presentation of the history of the islands and the way the locals were exploited by British and American politicians, merchants and missionaries, all of which emerge as rather cunning and hypocritical. Particularly the fact that the American army uses the area to test new equipment, the arrest for trespassing of people whose lands were violently annexed and the concept of the Blood Quantum emerge as rather dramatic.
Local artists relieve the tension through live performances, although the dramatic base dominates the narrative. The rather fast pace, implemented by the frequent cuts, allows all the “protagonists” to have their time on screen, while the juxtaposition with the aforementioned footage is ideal. This pace is also the element that allows the film not to be tiring, since at 84 minutes, and mostly comprising of “talking heads” approach, it somewhat overextends its welcome.
“The Tribunal” is a very interesting documentary that highlights the plights and the issues the locals face rather eloquently, while managing to stay entertaining for the majority of its duration.
