Pōʻele Wai: As The Water Darkens

A weaver navigates between survival and her connection to the land while a mysterious rash grows on her body. While working as a cleaner, she becomes entranced by a mysterious painting and learns it is inspired by a Hawaiian creation story. As her rash worsens, she realizes her drinking water has been poisoned by fuel leaking into the island’s watersheds, and undergoes a major transformation.

Opening on Thursday, October 17, the festival will return to The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, with a program entitled A Celebration of Dances of the Pacific Islands. Vakaraitaka from Fiji and Pōʻele Wai (As The Water Darkens) from the Kingdom of Hawai’i. Set in the visually beautiful Fijian hills, Vakaraitaka is a four-part contemporary dance narrative by Fenton Lutunatabua,  combining poetry and climate activism. Pōʻele Wai, a short directed by Tiare Ribeaux, is a magical realism-infused narrative of a weaver’s discovery that their beloved land has been poisoned by the fuel leaks at Red Hill, which hits close to home in this era of climate upheaval. 

Both filmmakers utilize the full spectrum of their talents to dive deep into conversations of environmental activism and reimagine our relationship with the earth and our history. In Vakaraitaka, the majestic costume design by Fashion Designer Epeli Tuibeqa seamlessly flows between the traditional and contemporary patterns and textiles of Fiji. In Po’ele Wai, Tiare brings the future to us with an immersive Augmented Reality experience.    

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