Act of War

Reaction to the documentary Act of War.

I have to admit, that I didn't know much about Hawaii before I arrived here. I have always imagined Hawaii to be this peaceful exotic paradise, which is often portrait in movies. The past couple of weeks I've realized that there is much more to it. Part of the knowledge I have got now is from watching the "Act of War - The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation" documentary.

It suddenly made sense to me, why I have heard several locals use the phase; "Hawaii is part of the United States, but it's not a part of America". I was surprise to learn that this phase probably have something to do with how Hawaii became the 50th state.

"Act of War" is told from the Hawaiian perpective and portraits America as the unethical but powerful nation, who came and stole the Hawaiian Islands. Throughout the story it's clear that it's made by someone, who is really engaged in the Hawaiian history.

The documentary is very fact heavy, but the people behind manage to present the history in a simple and interesting way to make everyone get the point. This is done by using a variation of methods, for example old video and photo material, new recording, interviews and traditional Hawaiian music. These methods are also used to make the viewer sympathize with the Hawaiians and feel sadness and anger towards the US because of their actions.

I find this documentary very dramatic in its way to present the story, but at the same time I think it works as intended. Because even though it's a very one-sided story, different points of views are presented, and you get a great understanding of the Hawaiian history and how the Hawaiians experienced this overthrow by the US.

By watching Act of War I feel like I've been enlightened into the Hawaiian history and how Hawaiians feel about the past. I feel like the documentary has been rewarding for me to watch, because it will now be easier to meet locals and live in a community side by side with a culture that is so completely different from my own.

But after watching Act of War I can't help but wonder, how would Hawaii be today, if America hadn't come? Would some else have taken over the islands, or would Hawaii just have remained as before? I guess we'll never know.

#actofwar #hpuhpn #wdm