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Mendo Lake Family Life

Short Brings Hawaiian Legend to Life

On Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach there are four stones that legend says were placed there centuries ago by mahu (third-gender people) who brought healing traditions from Tahiti to Hawaii. The belief is that one of those mahu, Kapaemahu, infused the stones with healing power. A modern-day mahu, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, has created an eight-minute animated film, Kapaemahu, about the legend, as seen through the eyes of a young boy. This film, which won a Special Jury Mention at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, is a selection of the Outwatch Film Festival, which will be held June 10–13 as part of this month’s Sonoma County Pride Festival. The film can be viewed at kapaemahu.com. Make a donation or learn more about Outwatch at sonomacountypride.org/june-10-13-outwatch-film-festival. For a full Pride schedule, including times for the drive-thru parade and other activities, go to sonomacountypride.org.