- Aloha. Mahalo. Hang loose. From Japans temples to Brazils beaches to Hawaiis epic North Shore waves, embark on a global quest to unravel the mystery of the Shaka gesture. Discover its origin, meanings and why its the secret to paradise.
- This film is a global quest with writer Steve Sue, as he explores how to throw a totally legit Shaka gesture, common uses of it, and a walk backwards in time exploring the "who dunnit" of how the Shaka obtained its varied meanings, how it was named and where it originated. Key scenes include a Shaka Contest, a traditional hukilau (an all-village fishing expedition), plantation train jumping, marbles playing, Hawaii entertainers, surfing and extreme sports, and other themes from the 110 year history of the Shaka. In the end, the power of the Shaka is revealed as the secret to creating and maintaining paradise. End credits reveal Project Shaka, a growing movement to share aloha through the Shaka.—Ryan Ozawa
- "Shaka, A Story of Aloha" explores alternative uses, meanings and origins of the Shaka gesture. It opens with a definitional scene that establishes what is a shaka and some common everyday uses of it. The opener features a Shaka Contest Green Room scene that frames the dilemma, stakes and insecurities of not knowing how to throw or fly a shaka in authentic fashion. Modern-day scenes follow, illustrating how the shaka has been used for good by 1997 Miss Universe Brook Lee and by General Kenneth Hara, commander of "The Shaka Battalion" in the Iraq War (2004-05) who used it to save lives on both sides.
The film then moves backward in time through multiple theories on where the shaka came from, how meanings were added, and who was instrumental in its global progression. These include the 1979 Channel 2 News shaka sign off, 1970s era surfers & extreme sports enthusiasts, 1976 Mayor Frank Fasi programs including shaka-branded city works projects and bus system, 60s and 70s entertainers and comedians including Elvis Presley, Rap Reiplinger, Frank Delima, Al Harrington, SOS, Lucky Luck and others, used car salesman/entertainer/marbles player Lippy Espinda, the word origin of "shaka" coming from Japan, and other origin stories including possible ties to Shaka Zulu in South Africa, marbles playing on Maui, a portuguese cowboy drinking sign, a school boy shakaing in a 1906 Kamehameha School photograph, and 1940s train jumpers mimicing a security guard who rises to become the master fisherman of his village and honored 60 years later through a remembrance event that includes 1,000 people in a traditional Hawaiian "hukilau" fishing expedition.
The array of archival content presented is oriented through several recurring vehicles including a "who dunnit" crime board that questor Steve Sue builds with Hawaiian Kupuna Kekela Miller, a lower third timeline to place relative dates of scenes, and a location map to place the relative geographical locations of scenes.
The closer includes with the questor connecting the dots by pulling strings on the crime board, a bookend finish back at the Shaka Contest that features 9 divisions of shaka usage, and a judges/contestants hug-out with questor voice-over imploring all to use the shaka to share aloha around the world.
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By what name was Shaka, A Story of Aloha (2024) officially released in Canada in English?
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