Kupuna 'Āina: Hawaiʻi, The Land Remembers, Santa Cruz Premiere

Doors open at 6 PM. Film begins at 6:30 PM.

This is a rare opportunity to experience the film in community, on a big screen and share a conversation with the film directors.

Kupuna 'Āina: Hawaiʻi, The Land Remembers

Before there were maps, there were ancestors. Before there was history, there was a primordial longing—a collective breath blowing across the water, calling Hawaii from beneath the sea, whispering: I love this place. I want to live here.

That longing has outlasted empire. It has survived erasure. It has endured a century of quiet war waged through the suppression of language, the banning of hula, and the theft of land.

This is not Hawaii from the postcards. Kupuna 'Āina does not try to explain Hawaii; it listens to its heartbeat. Through the voices of kupuna (elders), modern warriors, cultural practitioners, and men finding healing with ʻāina, the film honors a profound remembering of ancestral ways. It is a journey of reclaiming ancient rhythms, revitalizing language, and embracing the sacred duty—the kuleana—to secure a living future for generations to come. Here, historical pain is alchemized into power. Not despite the wound. Through it.

Everyone is welcome.

Complimentary tickets are available to ensure no one is turned away for lack of funds. Click here to secure your complimentary ticket.

Ticket donations support both RCNV and SAND’s vital work, and 50% of proceeds after film production costs directly fund Indigenous-led initiatives in the featured communities.

Content Advisory & Our Commitment to Care:

The films in this series honor the profound resilience of Indigenous cultures while addressing the brutal legacies of colonization. They may include references to physical and sexual violence, substance abuse, and intergenerational trauma. We acknowledge that this content can be deeply impactful, especially for those with lived or inherited experiences of such trauma.

To foster a respectful environment for all attendees, we will share clear Community Agreements at each screening. These include guidelines on privacy, consent, respectful sharing, and the right to exit and re-enter the space as needed. Our goal is to create a container where learning and reflection can happen with care for everyone's well-being.

About the Resource Center for Nonviolence & SAND:

For 50 years, the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV) has equipped our community with tools to build a just and peaceful world. We’re proud to collaborate with Science and Nonduality (SAND)—an organization exploring our interconnectedness and humanity’s place within the web of life—to host the Santa Cruz Premieres of the Wisdom of the Ancestors/Eternal Song film series. These films hold transformative power, and we believe viewing and contemplating them together can help disrupt cycles of violence and nurture Beloved Community.

Special thanks to our promotional partners:

Center for Spiritual Living, Center for World Networking, Romero Institute, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), SURJ Showing Up for Racial Justice—Santa Cruz County, UCSC American Indian Resource Center, UCSC Community Studies, Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County, KSQD Community Radio, Watsonville Film Festival, Friends of Juristac, and Native American and Indigenous Support Committee at Cabrillo College