All language subtitles for Sharing.Aloha.2025.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-[YTS.MX]ENG

Downloaded from
YTS.MX

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

From the very beginning,
I felt like I was going

to have some issues fitting in.

I thought I wouldn't
fit in because of how

my life had been previously.

So growing up, I was
too brown, too white.

A lot of things in between.

I can see everyone as
big, Polynesian-looking.

And I'm here, a small Asian,
skinny, Filipino-looking kid.

I'm going to see if
they're going to take me,

and hopefully they do.

And if they do,
I'm going to work

as hard as I can to
really just make up

for the lack of the Polynesian
body that I wish I had.

When the lights go on,
the crowd is surprised.

I would say that's
our biggest flex,

being girls doing this sport.

It's a male dominated sport,
but for us to pull it off

on the big stage when we
feel like we did really good,

I think we know it.

The neighborhood I grew
up in is pretty rough.

My mom and dad got separated
when I was in class five,

so basically she was the
one that brought us all up.

The reason why I'm
here is because of her.

Thanks for joining us.

Being the first in my family
to attend a University that

really means a lot.

A lot of people see
these big smiles,

they're like, she
doesn't have a problem.

But I've been away from home
for a little over four years,

and I really miss my
parents, especially my dad.

Every day, that's all
I need, is a dad's hug.

And how I'm homesick.

Shortly after high
school, I had some plans

and I made some decisions that
kind of ruined those plans.

But my mom did say that I have
an uncle that was out here.

Then I can go stay with
him for a little bit

to set things
right with my life.

But after a good two months,
he was kicking me out.

I was kind of lost
on where to go.

All I wanted to do was to prove
to my parents I'm not a failure.

Like thousands who
came before them,

these students from Hawaii,
the islands of the Pacific,

and from around the
world are the real force

behind the Polynesian
cultural center, which,

according to annual
industry reports,

is Hawaii's top attraction.

These students from the adjacent
Byu-Hawaii welcome each visitor

with "aloha" in the traditional
spirit of Hawaii and as "ohana"

or family.

This year, the Polynesian
Culture Center turned 60.

And today, just
as they have done

with the 45 million
visitors who preceded them,

they lead guests on a
rich cultural journey.

Six island nations come to
life as student performers

give visitors a taste of where
they themselves come from.

As daylight wanes, Ha:
Breath Of Life nightly show

is the culmination
of the day's voyage

into the heart of
Polynesia, again,

made possible by the
dedication of the student

performers who become the
lifeblood, the storytellers,

the cultural ambassadors
of their heritage.

Although the center
is celebrated,

for its cultural exhibitions
and performances,

some express
discomfort with what

they perceive as a
commercialized representation

of Polynesian culture.

Others voiced concern that
students are being exploited.

Are these concerns
well-founded or misguided?

What drives students
to share their culture

in the face of criticism?

These questions
underscore the complexity

of showcasing living
cultures in a way

that respects their origins,
while simultaneously

entertaining visitors
and supporting students

earnestly try to determine
their own destiny.

What are the stories of
resilience behind these vibrant

faces that greet each guest
with a heartfelt "aloha"?

Great show.

Join us as we pull back the
curtain and step backstage,

exploring their
personal stories.

Witness the trials they braved
to arrive in this place,

the day to day
hurdles they surmount,

and the pivotal moments that
are sculpting their destiny.

Hi, mom.

Hi, dad.

The new addition to our family.

This is an invitation to
take a behind the scenes look

at the Polynesian
Cultural Center

and into the lives of the
students who bring it to life.

I'll give my all
to the PCC today!

One ohana.

Sharing aloha!

Woo!

So when I got off the plane,
I was so nervous and so scared

because this is my first
time in a foreign country.

I was excited.

I knew I was going--

coming to BYU-Hawaii.

I had family members
who came here

who told me stories
about this place,

so I was excited to
follow their footsteps.

I knew that coming here would
be much more comfortable,

if that makes sense.

It's more me, and
it's part of who I am.

I decided that BYU-Hawaii
would be a cool opportunity.

I had family and friends
that have already

come here and school
here, and so I

thought this would be
a good opportunity to--

yeah, go and try something new.

I thought it would be
somewhat different from Fiji,

but then when I was
looking around, I was like,

oh, this is kind
of similar to Fiji.

Like the tropics and, like,
the trees and the mountains,

it's kind of similar.

I was having a lot of memories
going through my mind,

especially, like, my
goals that I've set

and how I'm planning
to achieve it.

But at the same time, I was
kind of nervous and just trying

to get myself together.

We are finding students who
are qualified academically

and prepared to come here
and be successful in pursuing

a bachelor's degree, who have
financial need, who really

couldn't pursue an education
at a university in the United

States without support.

You don't have to come with
$20,000 of tuition money.

You come here with a desire
to be part of this community,

to build yourself up
and prepare yourself

to go out and serve and support
your family and your community.

Well, one of these new students
come, everything is new

and everything is exciting.

But I can also see that it
can, at times, be overwhelming.

So this is it.

My experience as a student
was that I had roommates,

and I developed
friendships with people

from all around the world, which
would have never have happened

had I remained in my hometown.

And it's been really fun to
see you arriving on campus,

to see your excitement.

We've asked you to make
several commitments

to be part of this
community, and you've

made the choice to accept those
commitments and honor them.

Thank you for choosing
to be here with us.

This is a small university.

It's very difficult to get
accepted and to sit in this seat

that you're sitting
in right now.

Regardless of where you're
from, what your background is,

I want you to know
that you belong here.

OK, ready?

One, two and 3.

Here's my ID.

Welcome, welcome.

Welcome.

Many of you will
have the opportunity

to work at the Polynesian
Cultural Center.

And what a gift it is
to have that space be

a place where the world comes
and sees you and learn from you.

These students are
coming here and they

are proud of their heritage.

And they should be.

And they're coming to the
Polynesian Cultural Center,

which has this
incredible purpose

to allow them to work, fund
their education while seeking

to celebrate and preserve their
own cultures and the cultures

of their fellow students.

So tomorrow, please get a job at
the Polynesian Cultural Center.

19 hours a week while
school is in session.

From food servers,
cooks and dishwashers

to maintenance
workers, everyone finds

a job that suits their ambitions
and their school schedule.

I got a tour guide--
tour guide job.

I got a job as carver.

I'll be working
as a fruit cutter.

A kitchen support worker.

Sales associate from
the retail shop.

For students who have
dreamed of performing

their culture and their renowned
night show Ha: Breath Of Life,

their big moment to audition
has finally arrived.

It's a highly sought-after
job, and this semester only

a few spots are available.

For the Hawaii students, when
they come in and audition,

they don't know what's
going to happen.

They don't know what's
going to happen.

They come in and they're told
that you need to find a job.

Here's PCC, you
have this department

and you got to choose today.

Excited?

Come, come.

We decided to go
first to night show

without thinking that
we was going-- actually

going to get accepted.

They come with
numbers and it's good

because we don't like
names because sometimes you

might know the family.

We bring them backstage
and we have about an hour,

and in that hour we will
hold this large audition.

Good morning and welcome.

We're excited to have
you here with us today.

It's definitely a
nerve-racking process.

They're looking at each other.

They all got numbers.

They don't know what's
going to happen.

I looked around and
they were pretty much

feeling the same thing.

Like, I could just tell
from the facial expressions

and everything.

Come, come on to the green.

You have to audition in front
of everybody, your peers,

all of the choreographers
who were there.

And it's-- I don't blame
them for being nervous.

I know they're nervous.

So you try to make
them feel comfortable.

Just take a deep
breath and relax.

Just look at yourself
in the mirror

and have fun while you're there.

All right?

Everyone up there that
was auditioning them

was once in their shoes.

We went through the same thing.

I had to audition five
times before I finally

got into the show.

And it's like a joke
they tease me about.

Yeah.

One, two--

We teach them some basic
fundamentals in a dance

and we ask them to do it.

Although they're not
supposed to be perfect,

we don't expect
them to be perfect,

we look for those
that we think have

the coordination
and the potential

to learn the show in 90 days.

One, two.

Beside me.

One, two--

This is not typical of a
performer of this type.

You usually do your
main role and then

you're an understudy to
maybe one or two others.

That's it.

But not in this show.

You've got to be able
to do almost everything.

We're going to meet real
quickly while you guys relax.

We will huddle in
the office real quick

and we get feedback
from everyone.

Can you see them
on stage in 90 days

at the standard that is close
to what we currently have?

I mean, I want to hear from
the student leaders who

are going to be working
very closely with them,

with the supervisors and--
and then David and John,

and I have my opinion as well.

I thought maybe 14
with coordination.

He has a coordination.

I'm sure they're-- all
the jitters are out

and the excitement is going on,
and they're just making sure

they're anxious that they get
it right and they hopefully get

chosen because if not, they
got to-- they got to go look

for another job.

Thanks for being
patient, students.

So just a heads up.

If you hear your
number called, you're

just going to make your
way to the table here.

And if you don't hear
your number called,

we appreciate you
for auditioning.

The first number will be 27.

If you can make
your way up, please.

And next number, 85.

Can you make your way up there?

And number 14, if you can make
your way up to the podium.

At that time, I was shocked
because I'm not really

a good dancer.

I really find it exciting,
getting to know other cultures.

Thank you, everyone.

Yeah, so I was disappointed that
I didn't make the night show,

but I guess there's more jobs
at PCC or even at school.

Yeah, I'm so excited.

I'm excited
to get my first job.

I'm excited to portray
the culture to everyone

and also get more
good at dancing.

Two, and three.

In just eight hours, everyone
has landed their first job.

Jason will start
training immediately

for his first role
at the night show.

Huala'i with her past
experience in hula dancing,

landed her first job
along with her roommate,

performing in the
Hawaii village.

Monson is following
in the footsteps

of his great grandfather,
who worked for the Center

as a master carver
over 50 years ago.

And Josephine, though being a
dishwasher may not seem as fun

or as glamorous
as the other jobs,

it comes with a
pretty nice perk.

So at 6:30 this
dinner at the Luau.

So we take a break from work,
and then we go eat at the Luau.

So it's been so good.

The Polynesian Cultural Center
is situated on 42 acres.

It's set up in six mini
villages or islands.

There's the village of Samoa,
then Aotearoa, New Zealand.

We have Fiji, we have Hawaii, we
have Tahiti, and we have Tonga.

Each of them have
their own employees

that we try to staff
as much as possible

with individuals from
those actual cultures.

Thanks for joining us.

So I work here at
the Fiji village.

Our dances depict stories,
our dances, our history.

And we also have, of course, the
coconut oil presentation, one

of my favorites,
where we show guests

how we make coconut
oil back in Fiji.

It's amazing how you
see their eyes light

up from the starting
of husking the coconut.

Showing them the face.

the coconut--

Where they're like, hit it.

And then with a
rock and it opens.

Grading the meat,
squeezing out the milk

and explaining basically
how you make coconut oil.

My friends would say I'm a
funny guy, making jokes and all

of that, but when I'm
on stage performing,

it's a different
mentality altogether.

Currently, I'm in
my third semester.

I'm majoring in
political science

with minors in Pacific
Islands studies and education.

four of you that
got the right one.

Being the first in my family
to attend a University,

that really means a lot.

Jimbo!

Hey!

Welcome home, Jimmy!

My mom and dad got separated
when I was in class five.

Without a father figure in our
house, my mom played both roles.

She was the one that
brought us all up.

I'm so grateful for him.

He's done a lot.

I'm so proud of him.

Everything she
sacrificed for us,

that's what I always remember.

And that's why-- what
I do is because of her.

Last night you just sleep
here, myself beside him, there.

Would sleep with me--

I said, get the mattress,
bed mattress, everything,

he said, no, don't
need the mattress.

We just lie on the mat.

The floor is better
than the bed.

The bed is too soft.

Plus, we've been
sleeping on the floor

ever since we were younger, so.

The neighborhood I grew
up in is called Riwanga.

A lot of people fear this place
because of what goes down here.

Not really safe, they say,
but for us that live here,

this is home for us.

It's a humble beginning,
so it's very good

to come back and really
remember where I come from.

Like, I wouldn't
change my upbringing.

My upbringing has brought
me to where I am today.

My way out was through sports.

This is when he was
in the Fiji team.

He played against Samoa.

This is at the Vodafone Arena.

There are some
little medals here.

One for basketball.

So this is home for me.

This is where my mother
would find me, whether it

be lunch, breakfast or dinner.

This is where I'll be
at, playing basketball.

Basketball keeps us away
from all the trouble.

All the scars that I have on my
body is from falling right here.

Yeah.

Now, when I went to
PCC, I learned more

about a traditional
Fijian village,

what the huts meant,
what traditions

had to take place
before you build a hut,

a little stuff like that.

That really strengthened
my knowledge

for the people of Fiji.

So I'm grateful.

Jimmy will be the
ideal example for us.

He had little knowledge of who
he was or his cultural identity.

He's gone to Hawaii.

He's picked it up in
another foreign land,

and he's bringing
it back with him.

I want the kids here
in the neighborhood

to know that, you know,
through education,

it can take you places.

Anything is possible.

And I hope he can
influence other youths here

in the urban areas in Suva
and influence them and tell

them there is another
option for you.

And this is the option.

I've been through.

Dorm life is very different from
the term dorm life back home.

It's very different from here.

Here it's like, you're living
in a, I would say, a hotel.

The rooms, the toilets,
bathrooms, all of that,

back home is very different.

We're fortunate to be in
a dormitory like this.

Growing up, we
sleep on the floor.

We did have beds at
home, but usually, like,

the eldest sibling would
sleep on the bed or the mom

and the dad sleep in the bed.

The kids sleep on the floor.

Me and my siblings, we would
sleep on the floor in the living

room because at home
it's not just us,

it's us and our extended family.

Full house, how we
say it back home,

I can't see myself
sleeping on the bed

if my mom's still
sleeping on the floor.

The reason why I'm
here is because of her.

So that's why I
sleep on the floor,

because my mom
sleeps on the floor.

Family is what pushes us.

Family is why I'm here.

I tell you, everyone in Hawaii
has got a different opinion.

That is for sure.

In these days, hard not
to get some naysayers.

You will get criticism
no matter what you do,

when you try to express yourself
or you're forward-facing,

you're facing out to the world.

We know that we're not
going to please everybody

when they come here, and we'd
be silly to think that everyone

is going to love what we do.

Though not widely
believed, some critics

assert that student employees
are being exploited.

A lot of people are
worried about the center

as being exploitative of
Polynesian students, when

in fact, it's just the opposite.

People say we're slave labor.

People say that we're selling
our culture for money.

A lot of people--

a lot of people say
a lot of things,

but it's funny
because this is stuff

that we'd be doing ordinarily
for free in our cultures.

When we hear comments like,
you're exploiting them,

I don't see them as that.

I see them as talents that are
here to be developed by us,

so that when they
finish and they

leave the center,
when they graduate,

they could become leaders.

To have an opportunity
to go to school and work,

and the program covers for your
housing, tuition, meal plans.

Where else in the world
would you get that?

Now, that's an
amazing deal that I

would have taken
going into college

and that almost anyone would
take going into college.

We've taken a look and said,
what is your total compensation

for those 19 hours a week?

And what we found is that
it's in excess of $50 an hour.

Come to college,
work 19 hours a week,

have some money to
play on the weekends,

and get a debt-free
bachelor's degree.

It's a really exciting
model, and I'm

grateful to be able to
administer that and be

part of it.

Students enrolled here
are the centerpiece

of a symbiotic relationship.

The Center and Brigham
Young University-Hawaii

are intertwined, each
sustaining the other.

One cannot flourish
without the other,

and each student worker is
mentored every step of the way

by more seasoned performers and
cultural experts who were once

students themselves.

Kap Tafiti from Samoa is
featured five times daily

in the Samoa village.

Kap graduated with
his degree in 3D art,

sculpting and pottery and
has been mentoring students

and entertaining guests
for 37 years ago.

This is Samoa.

Everybody say Samoa.

Do you want some more?

Capturing an audience
as a worldwide,

you have to use your
language, not to make fun,

but to show there,
I did my homework.

I know how to say
this in your language.

Get a rock.

It was a rock.

Chinese sounds--

Japanese.

So comedy is an
intricate part of it

because it brings attention.

In your homes you
teach your children,

don't touch your knives.

Stay away from the fire.

In our homes, we
put them together

and give it to the child.

You know, humour, when people
are entertained and learn

something at the same time, I
think they will remember it.

This is all you need.

We call it--
English

sharp stick.

It's part of our nature, the
humor side, the fun part.

I think it's just
naturally in us

to be happy, to
always joke around.

There's always a time to play
around and time to be serious.

But I think most of the time we
are on the fun side of things.

He's a man of steel.

His feet made of steel.

I've never seen him
walk around with shoes.

Take a picture.

It lasts longer.

And he climbs the tree.

Are you folks ready?

We have five, six shows a day,
but I climb five times a day.

I mean, he's been doing it for
30 years, five times a day.

That's why he looks like
that and I look like this.

When calculating, I
climb, I don't know--

tens of thousands of
times, 100,000 times.

If I miss a day or two, or
sometimes I'm traveling,

I can feel when I come back.

So I'm hoping that I
continue on to do it.

Climbing trees in
my 70s, you know.

He's 54 and still
climbing the tree.

And get this, he's a vegetarian.

How many Polynesian
vegetarians do you have?

Only two, that I know of.

And I've met all the
Polynesians in the world.

I believe my mission,
or my purpose

is to entertain, educate,
share really the true Aloha.

Not just laughing,
but people leave

with something that's deeper.

Maafu Latu-Vaki from Tonga, has
been on the staff at the Center

for about a decade and
graduated with his degree

in Pacific Island studies.

Please, put your hands
together to welcome the master

of the jump, the man,

When I first got hired to the
Polynesian Culture Center,

I already knew how
to play the drums.

I learned it from my
father and grandfather.

My name is--

The show holds up to
the cultural validity,

but still is one of the
popular entertaining shows.

And if you look at it, break
it down to its rarest form,

it's kind of what
Tongans do anyways,

where we kind of tease and make
fun of each other in general.

And so we're sharing
that aspect of our humor

with the guests that come.

We don't tell the guests
about that beats that.

That's all on them.

Let's try one more time.

Finish it.

Finish.

Yeah.

Finish the beat.

Here we go.

Ah!

It's going to be a long day.

Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun.

Dun dun.

It's just a fun show
to be a part of know.

So--

I believe the strength of PCC is
that it strengthen your affinity

to your home countries.

The authenticity of what's
in the Tonga village,

it's as authentic as it can be.

If you come just to
go paddle a canoe

to have fun and get a picture
with a big, large Polynesian man

that entertained
you, you'll get that.

But if you want to delve
more into the culture,

you'll learn that
stuff like our canoe

is symbolic of a family, where
the large part of the canoe,

the main body that's
supposed to do all the work,

is representative of the father.

The outrigger, or the
smaller piece that

balances out the humor,
that's considered the mother.

The two pieces that connect
the smaller and larger piece,

the kiato, those are said
to symbolize the children.

And as long as the
mother and father

are aligned in how they
want the kids to be raised,

then the canoe or
the family will

be able to weather any
storm they should hit while

in the ocean.

And that's the way it is
throughout the Polynesian

Culture Center.

Everything is here for a reason.

Everything has cultural
meaning and purpose.

Ha.

Breath of Life is put on
with students, amateurs.

They're the most professional
bunch of amateurs in the world.

This Broadway-caliber production
boasts a dedicated cast and crew

of over 100 individuals.

With 4,200 performances to
date, observed by 5.5 million

spectators, it stands as
the Hawaii's most acclaimed

theatrical spectacle, featuring
600 authentic Polynesian

costumes.

Each performance is
illuminated by 1,000 lights.

The story is about Mana, his
life journey from infancy

through adolescence to
manhood, the struggles and joys

throughout his life.

As the story unfolds,
audiences are

immersed in the diverse cultures
of Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji,

Aotearoa of course, Hawaii.

Entertaining as the
performances may be,

the show's success is
even more astounding

because it is carried
by full-time students.

The behind the
scenes' magic that

makes this production
possible draws fascination

with many recognizing that
the show behind the show

rivals the onstage presentation
in intrigue and significance.

Rachel.

And that's because
behind the scenes,

there's an entirely
different show going on.

First of all, a big hand for
the whole cast for a great job.

These kids are very teachable.

They're humble and
they're wanting to learn.

Just keep working on your
Samoa, your hands for Samoa.

But I think it'll come.

The pressure on
performers is very real

because there are
measurable goals associated

with their performance based
upon daily audience feedback.

Our goal is to hit a 93%
excellent rating, which

means that 93% of those surveyed
have to select a nine or a 10,

which is excellent.

As of now, here today,
we are very blessed.

We are at 94.

Thank you.

Thanks all of you.

They all know the
goal, and they all

know that we can't achieve
those goals unless everybody

is working their hardest and
they're pushing themselves.

Ha.

Breath of Life is only as
good as its performers.

What is it that drives
each student to take part

in such a demanding show?

All the men in my family do it.

We always went to my
dad's shows, so as a baby,

I would always watch him spin.

Ever since I was a
kid, fireknife dancing

was all I knew.

Kind of inspired me
to start doing it.

Achilles came with
such speed and power,

and when he goes from move
to move, it's so fast.

Try to imagine the whole
stage as a battlefield.

So when you come out,
you're like, ready for war.

All the crowd's
screaming and everything.

It's kind of, like, you
ever watch Gladiator?

You win the crowd,
you win your freedom.

Uncle David, he's a legend.

David himself is a three-time
champion of the world fire knife

championships.

And we add boards on this side.

So I'm across and
then you spin them.

Some of the moves that I do now.

Yeah, those are David's moves.

He really changed the
game because back then it

was just the old-school style.

And then he brought in some new
moves that everyone does now.

Growing up, I would watch my
dad perform, my uncles and also

my Papa, and I just think
I kind of grew to love it

because I was surrounded by it.

One day I saw her and her
cousins, the twins, just playing

amongst each other, and they
were spinning the knife.

I think he saw potential.

She started training.

So she has three
world final titles.

Oh, Jeri, she's really good.

She beat me one year
in the competition.

To be the first girl to
have a solo performance

at the Polynesian Cultural
Center is such an honor.

She has her cousins, the twins,
all three of them together.

The triple threat.

Female fire knife
dancers are very rare.

People don't expect to see
women fire knife dancers.

They really were game
changers for our show.

From night one, the whole
audience just erupted.

It was one of those,
chicken-skin moments.

And we said, that's it.

I would say that's
our biggest flex,

being girls doing this sport.

It's a male dominated sport,
but for us to pull it off

on the big stage when the lights
go on, the crowd is surprised.

They do a really,
really tough routine.

Their routine is harder
than the men's routine.

When they spin, you
can tell they're twins

because they're always in sync.

We're lucky to have them.

I think we're the only
show on the island that

has three females that
can twirl at that level.

My favorite part is just
performing with everybody,

because we're all family,
and especially the crowd.

When we hear them
cheering and stuff,

it just makes us boost
our energy even more.

Having the look on the crowd's
face, knowing they're surprised

or they're happy, they enjoy
the show, that makes me happy.

When we nail it or when we
feel like we did really good,

I think we know it.

We look at each other
and we're all happy.

We come off stage, we're
like, oh, yeah, good job.

High five.

Good job, ladies!

The fact that we're
all students and we're

all just community
members working hard

to get the story out and
just to dance and enjoy

what we're doing, that gives
this show something that I think

not a lot of other shows have.

We have spirit and we have
heart and we love each other.

And I feel like we've all grown
and progressed in our work lives

and our community
lives together,

and that's something
that manifests on stage.

Mele is a senior
and lead performer

originally from New Zealand.

If I'm sitting way up
there in section one,

I have no idea what you
just pulled up from there,

so you need to make sure
it's seen as you're turning.

You're showing it from there.

So from there, open up.

Just because she's got the
role of Lani doesn't mean,

OK, I've got it, I can relax.

No.

She continues to perfect her
craft, perfect her skills.

I think about nights when she
plays Lani, the lead role.

Mele has been playing that
role for over two years.

She will have her headphones on
and to the side of the theater,

and she will shake for
about 15 minutes straight.

Practice practice,
practice, practice.

She's been doing
this for how long.

She has an intensity about her
because of how much she works.

That amplifies my intensity
when I perform with her.

When I perform with
Mele, it's like spot on,

everything is just
back and forth.

We're receiving each other.

There's a good connection.

We have great chemistry,
and it just works.

So I'm majoring in political
science and anthropology.

Double majoring.

Have you done something
that has really

kind of showed an impact--

I think the thing that
keeps me awake at night,

being a student and
performer is just deadlines.

The times that we're
dancing is the times

when everyone else
is doing homework.

By the time we're home, everyone
else is in bed or going out.

That's when we begin our
study for the nights.

I know for me, that's like 9:00
PM to 3:00 AM and then knock

out, wake up the
next day, class.

Same thing every single day.

I live off campus with
my auntie and uncle

and they took me in when
the pandemic happened.

I am good friends with her son.

He told them, and then they told
me, hey, come live at our house.

I was, like, no, I'll be fine.

I'll figure it out.

My son asked.

Took us about 10
minutes to decide

she's going to be our family.

So she started off as a niece
and she ended up as a daughter.

In the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

It's been such a
blessing living with them

because they didn't have
to bring me in and have me

as a part of their family.

But it's been going good.

They haven't kicked
me out yet, so.

Mele has been just as
much of a blessing to us

as we have been to her.

They have a dog.

She is my best friend.

The dog loves her
a bit more than me.

She just takes time with her.

She takes her on bike rides.

She takes her on walks.

Her name is Koa.

She's a boxer.

And just every day
we're hanging together,

we're chilling on the floor,
we're going for walks.

We'll go out for a run.

I'll take her biking
on the bike path.

I love going to
the beach as well.

My alone time with my dog
is my peak, peak, peak time.

It's funny because I came
here to meet new people,

and then I found my dog.

And then that was it.

From the very beginning,
I felt like I was going

to have some issues fitting in.

I thought I wouldn't
fit in because of how

my life had been previously.

So growing up, I was
too brown, two white.

A lot of things in between.

But in coming to the PCC and
being involved with my culture

at BYU, I really got
a sense of who I was.

I remember Mele when she came.

She was quiet.

She was really quiet.

I had a lot of fears
before I came here

of just trying things,
which is silly.

She didn't even talk.

We had to ask her questions
to get her to talk.

And in fact--

Like, pulling teeth.

The very first Sunday
that she was here,

we had to invite
friends to come over

so we'd be able to have
a conversation other

than with ourselves.

You know, God has
a really funny joke

and giving me a job when
I'm an introvert, that

requires me to be
around a lot of people

and just entertain a
bunch of people, I think.

You see her now on the stage?

It's-- for me, it's a miracle.

We're really proud of
her when we see her.

I mean, we've had our
children go through,

and we've enjoyed watching
that show over and over,

but to have someone that
we feel so close to being

in that lead spot and
just be so good at it

and engage with the audience,
yes, we're really proud.

Each performer in their own
way is doing it for the guests.

They're doing it for
every new person that

comes here every single night.

And I would know,
I'm one of them.

And I talk to the many
performers and my friends

back here every night.

They're putting their heart,
their soul, their blood, sweat,

and tears out on stage.

Not just for work.

Work is one thing, but they
know that it's a privilege

to perform every night.

Da, da, da.

And done.

OK, good job.

Hey!

My major is TESOL.

It's teaching English to
speakers of other languages.

And how to do it for K-12
and also university students,

just generally how
to teach English.

Another thing that I love
doing is photography.

It's one of my passions, a
passion that I grew actually

during COVID, during the
lockdown when we couldn't really

do things anymore.

So I started to do
photography out of sheer fun.

Atea was born in Tahiti, son
of a Tahitian Chinese father

and a Filipino mother,
and has three siblings.

During his audition, Atea
struggled with his self-image.

My goal in coming
here to BYU-Hawaii

was to come here
to PCC and dance.

My father actually danced here.

And he told me about it and I
was like, I want to do that.

When I found out that
Atea wanted to dance, it--

it kind of surprised me
and I felt like, wow, OK.

I-- in my head I
was thinking, I hope

he can dance at least like
me, or hopefully better.

His father, Antonio,
and his mother, Lotus,

were both student
employees of mine

when they were going
to school here,

and it's so fun now seeing
their children come here.

When I auditioned, it was
right as the show was going on.

So you could see people
running in and out,

and I can see everyone is nice
and big Polynesian-looking,

and I'm here, a small Asian,
skinny, Filipino-looking kid.

Even though I'm from Tahiti,
I don't look anything

like I'm from Tahiti.

He came up to me once
and says, dad, I--

I'm kind of shy to dance with no
t-shirts on because of the way

I look.

And I told him, you couldn't
look any worse than that.

Look to when-- when I started
dancing, too, because I was just

as skinny as you are.

The difference is you
dance better than me,

and so you're going to
showcase your talent.

When I asked him to
dance on the night show,

he almost seemed surprised
that I would ask him,

and maybe he had in mind
that night show dancers

need to be a certain
way, like bigger.

And so I was just
like, you know what?

I'm going to give what I got.

I'm going to see if
they're going to take me.

And hopefully they do.

And if they do,
I'm going to work

as hard as I can to
really just make up

for the lack of the Polynesian
body that I wish I had.

I don't think he realized
that he had it in him.

I don't think he did.

Now he's in the front a lot.

For pretty much most of the
cultures that he dances,

I think his confidence
level has shot up.

He feels better about
himself just because of--

well, he should, because out
of all the guys on stage,

you're the front guy,
you're the point guy.

So make sure that your words
are nice and strong, yeah?

Make sure your actions firm.

And I just find it amazing
the amount of trust

that they do put into
me, and that they

saw progress in me
when I couldn't really

at the beginning.

Atea is one of the few dancers
that knows the whole show.

He knows all six sections
and he knows them well.

He's a small guy,
but I'll tell you,

his work ethic goes
beyond everyone's bounds.

That guy will work his
butt off to get on stage.

Your eyes will typically turn
to him because he dances so hard

and he has so much charisma.

If you ever see him on stage,
even though he's small,

his actions are huge.

I mean, he can dance Hawaii and
Tonga better than, you know,

any other boys that I know
that dance Hawaii and Tonga.

Imagine dancing six sections
for 90 minutes solid, hard.

That's what Atea does.

They just have this passion for
what they do and it shows up

on stage.

This is just natural.

But I think it is amazing that
we pull off a show like this,

with kids who were just in
the islands six months ago.

I'm studying TESOL education
and social work as my major,

and minor in biology.

So those are seven areas
that you can focus on--

Leilani from Tonga is an
unmistakable personality here

at the Center.

During the audition,
she kept talking

and I actually had to lean
forward and point her out

and say, you, sh.

But do you know what?

She was good.

We still picked her up.

Leilani is very positive,
very good attitude,

a life of the party.

She just loves life and just
makes everybody feel happy

around her.

And she's gung ho to try
anything and everything.

She loves, loves, loves her
family and everybody around her.

And that's just the way she is,
is the reason why she's beaming

and she's bright and
she's sunny all the time.

I've been away from home for
a little over four years.

A lot of people see this
big smile and they're like,

she doesn't have a
problem, you know.

But--

A lot of people don't know,
but I come here to work

and some people don't
see how I'm homesick.

With family support, Leilani
left home in Tonga to serve

an 18-month volunteer mission
for her church in Arizona.

But on her return
flight home, she

became stranded in Fiji when her
last connecting flight to Tonga

was canceled due to COVID
forced border closures,

so she decided to stay
in Fiji and extend

her missionary service
an additional 16 months.

While serving, Leilani applied
for the I Work scholarship

program at BYU-Hawaii
and was accepted.

But with Tongan
borders still closed,

she had to fly
directly to Hawaii

to start the new semester.

At this point, Leilani had not
been home in over three years.

I try to keep myself busy, do my
schoolwork, go to the library,

study for exams and
stuff like that,

so I can get myself busy so I
don't think about home a lot.

Leilani is sister-in-law to
Malcolm, who plays the leading

role as Mana in the night show.

I see how happy he is and
how supportive my sister is

for him to work here
in the night show,

and I was like, I
want to try that.

And so I tried it
and I loved it.

It's so fun working
with him because when

I go out the tunnel,
he's like, yes, sister.

And I'm like, yes, brother.

It's now about 60
minutes to showtime.

Who's going on first
time in this group?

Pono!

OK, Pono going on
first time tonight.

Please make your
way to the lineup.

Two more minutes, please.

Thank you.

Every night we have what
is called the lineup,

and they will line every
single person in their spot.

They will run
through transitions

so everybody knows where
they're supposed to go.

Will, Bono, Ethan,
James, and Kendall.

Ty and Aaron are walking on.

It's never the same lineup.

Every night it's a different
lineup, different key role.

Front line is different.

Second back line.

Everybody has a
turn and rotating.

Double check.

Where is she?

She's going to be
on Hona's side.

Sometimes they're lineup issues.

Someone will turn up
in the wrong spot.

Someone will remember a
spot from three nights ago

and do it for that night.

And there's a lot of
adjusting that has to happen.

It doesn't make so much
for drama, but just

difficulties on stage.

We are only allowed to work
our students 19 hours a week,

and so we have to be
very creative in the way

that we manage them.

There's days when exams come up.

Some of them have
the same class,

so we're missing a
lot of kids, and I

have to make it work to
get the numbers on stage.

Sometimes you have those
kids that just show

up just in time for the show.

They missed the lineup.

Standing by.

Open the doors, please!

Whether there's a
couple of people

or whether the
whole place is full,

it's still equal
amounts of scary.

double check your lineups.

I saw just a--

Good job.

The islands were born out
of the fire of the Earth,

and life comes forth
from the fire of love.

Backstage, people
don't see what's really

going on behind the scenes.

Backstage, people are running
around changing because you come

and dance, you go
back, change real quick

because you're coming
out on the second section

after that section.

Do your hair.

And for girls, it's
harder because your hair,

you got to fix it to a certain
way to match everyone else's.

You run from the other
side to the other side,

and it's so crazy
because everyone's

running around and
changing, and then

you have to run out and
put a smile on your face

because you're about to
impress people and help them

with the show.

So it's pretty crazy back there.

Do you want some more?

We're going to
give you some more.

Backstage, everybody is
listening intently to the show

and making sure they
are dressed in time.

There's only so much
room in the locker rooms

to prepare your costumes,
so you'll see costumes

all over the place backstage.

Costumes, accessories
always going missing.

Somebody's already
got someone else's.

Someone's borrowing
someone's never put it back.

And that creates some tension
backstage, because obviously,

to get on stage, we need
to have all of our pieces.

There are a million quick
changes in this show.

Some of us dance
all six sections,

some just cross
over in little ways,

and then there's just a
lot going on at all times,

so you've got to
be really onto it.

Two minutes, Mele.

Two minutes.

Everything's set
up in the tunnels.

Yeah, 'cause they won't make
the change if they go back

to the dressing room.

Let's go, let's go!

Come on, hurry up, hurry up!

A lot of us only make
it through the show

because of the other dancers.

They'll stand out at
the back and they'll

be waiting, ready with your
costume, dress you, send you on.

Come back out, dress
themselves, dress you, too.

So there's a lot of teamwork
that goes on behind the scenes,

but it makes it work.

We also watch out for each other
as dancers, so if something's

not working out, let
each other know, hey,

we're all here just trying
to help each other out.

One key philosophy
at the night show

is that everyone
benefits when students

dance the cultures of others
in addition to their own.

There's been times when I
talked to different guests

and they say that Samoan boy
that was in front dancing

Samoan, he was really good.

And I realized, which
one they point out,

I go, oh, he's not Samoan.

Half of the cultures that I'm
portraying are not my own.

I definitely do feel
a responsibility

to make sure that I
portray the culture the way

that someone from that culture
would want it to be portrayed.

Dancing in the night show,
it brings you together

as one big family.

There's no Samoans,
there's no Tongans.

And when I dance in the
Samoan section, I am Samoan.

When I dance in the Tongan
section, I am Tongan.

When I dance in the Fiji
section, I am Fijian.

By learning and understanding
somebody else's culture,

you learn to appreciate it.

And when you learn to appreciate
somebody else's culture,

it creates understanding
which leads to peace.

Some critics of the Center
argue that its presentations

lean excessively toward
contemporary interpretations

of culture, lacking
a solid foundation

in historical traditions.

If culture isn't made relevant
to the current generation,

it's going to stagnate and die.

If culture doesn't
evolve, we have to adapt.

And I'll give you an example.

The fire knife.

100 years ago, it didn't exist.

The fire was only added to the
Nifo Oti in the 1940s by Freddie

Olo Letuli.

There was the birth
of fire knife dancing.

And I'm sure when he started
there were many Samoans that

said, that's not traditional.

We didn't do it, but people
loved it and it stuck.

And now it is very much
a part of Samoan culture.

If it doesn't become interesting
to the current generation,

they're not going
to perpetuate it.

We walk a fine
line when it comes

to sharing our culture
within the tourism sector.

And the fine line is that we
want it to be entertaining,

but we want to keep the
integrity of our culture, too.

You have culture and
you have entertainment.

What's entertaining is
not culturally correct

and sometimes there's things
that are culturally acceptable,

but it's not entertaining.

These cultural people who are
steeped in their culture, who

brought their culture
through the generations,

they didn't go to school,
they didn't go on Google.

They learned it at the
knees of their ancestors.

These are the people that gave
PCC the stripes on their sleeve

as a cultural center.

I love my job.

I love what I do.

It's not just about, oh,
you're just performing,

this is your job.

This is about
sharing your culture.

This is about sharing
who you are as a people.

And for my Polynesian
brothers and sisters,

this is about sharing
with the world

the beauties of not
just what we wear

and our cultures and
the way of our life,

but just the beauties of
being a loving, positive,

sharing people.

And that's what the world needs.

After the show, Malcolm,
like all the cast members,

returns to student
life without fanfare.

You gotta love it to
be in it, and you got

to do it every single night.

I have the passion to do it.

And that's why I'm OK with it.

But to do Mana during
the night show,

it definitely takes a huge
emotional toll and mental toll

because of the
acting side of it.

So I would say that the nights
I do Mana I'm a little bit more

tired.

You guys.

His late night schedule
leaves little additional time

with his wife, Lesieli.

I was worried.

Malcolm is from
Las Vegas, Nevada,

and is the son of
Polynesian parents.

My dad was born
in American Samoa.

My mom was born in Fiji.

She just loved dancing.

Dancing was her passion.

I had a four-year-old,
three-year-old and Malcolm,

two years old, and I'd
put them in costume

and he'd get out there.

And they would do the
where they

knock their knees together
and have his arms up.

He was always smiling.

I'll never forget that moment.

That was the first
time I'm like, wow,

this guy is my future dancer.

Polynesian dance kept
Malcolm connected

to his culture and his
brothers, especially

his not-so-little
brother, Micah.

With my family on both
sides being Polynesian,

you know you kind of come
out the womb dancing, yeah.

After graduating
high school, Malcolm

would face some very
grown up challenges.

Shortly after high
school, I had some plans,

and I made some decisions that
kind of ruined those plans.

At some point, I was kind
of lost on where to go.

I felt like the need
was to go to Hawaii,

which was weird because I
don't know anything in Hawaii.

I didn't know anybody.

I didn't know where to go.

I didn't really know
what I would do there.

But my mom did say that I have
an uncle that was out here

and that if it's the
place that I'm feeling

I needed to go to set
things right with my life,

then I can go stay with
him for a little bit.

The agreement with my
uncle was kind of just

to take care of his farm,
but after a good two months,

he just felt like it wasn't
the right thing for me

to do, to just be here in
Hawaii and kind of do nothing,

because I wasn't going
to school either.

It wasn't the plan.

He offered to fly me home, and
I didn't really want to go home.

The plan was to stay here in
Hawaii for about six months

before I make any
other decisions.

And at this point he
was kicking me out.

Homeless, he couch surfed
where and when he could.

Yeah, I didn't really know what
to do for the first two months.

It was a struggle.

I had a hard time finding a job.

And at some point, I was
kind of lost on where to go.

I'd find a place to sleep.

Sometimes I'd just
pack my stuff,

just wear a nice jacket and
a couple layers of clothing

and just go hang out
on the beach and sleep.

This is it.

I didn't really want
to tell anybody.

This is where I spent
a lot of nights.

I didn't really have
anywhere else to go.

I made it my home sometimes.

I wish he had reached
out to me at that time

because I would have been
more than happy to help out,

but I think sometimes you have
to go through some of that

to find yourself, you know?

All I wanted to do.

I mean, aside from
finding myself,

was to prove to my
parents that I'm--

I'm not a failure.

Even though I messed up,
I can come back from this.

I told him, put his head up.

Don't worry about it.

Don't worry about what
other people think.

After disappointing
job searches,

Malcolm was hired at the Center
dancing in the canoe show

by day and as an usher by night.

Being an usher gave
Malcolm nightly access

to every performance, and this
would prove to be life changing.

So as an usher, I--

I got to watch the
show every night.

I've never seen a show like, ha!

I got to watch all these
people do exactly what I

want to do, perform,
share their culture,

make the crowd stand up.

Like, it was just-- it was the
coolest experience every night

to just watch.

But yeah, no, that was
just like, my dream.

It was just like, wow, this is
exactly what I wanted to do.

I get to see it every night.

I'd stand up here as an usher
and just cheer from the back.

And they'd have to tell me to
not cheer so loud because I

was louder than the guests.

Malcolm's enthusiasm, the skills
he displayed in the canoe show,

combined with his
work ethic, caught

the attention of management.

And something amazing
happened, something

that has never happened before.

Malcolm did not audition
for the role of Mana.

I just selected Malcolm because
of Malcolm's work ethic.

When they told me like, hey,
can we start training you?

I was like, oh, it's real.

This is happening.

It was clear he was the
obvious choice just because

of the passion and the
emotion that he put into it.

Malcolm does set the tone
even in the rehearsals.

He will go 100%.

Actors often draw
upon life experiences

when playing emotional
roles, and for Malcolm, there

was no shortage
of difficult life

experience from which to draw.

Not long after Malcolm
started into his new role,

his little brother Micah
died unexpectedly due

to a rare disease.

I wasn't there when--

when my little brother passed
away, but I got to see his body

and we got to see and say
our goodbyes with him.

It's almost like you
lose a part of yourself.

Yeah.

It hit him hard.

It was-- Malcolm
needed some time

to heal because he was very
close to him, to Micah.

And then with Malcolm performing
at the Polynesian Cultural

Center, the story
was so much alike,

being Mana and the
dad passing away.

It's just the fact that you have
to say goodbye to something,

something that means
so much to you,

something that gives
you so much joy.

When I see the father laying
down, I see my brother,

you know.

Mana loses not only
his father, but just

someone so close to him.

This is a moment where I've
lost someone, you know.

And that's my connection, is
I've lost someone as well.

And at that moment, father
kind of comes back up

and is his spirit,
and he gets to rejoin

his mother and the family and
ancestors who have passed on.

My mother is rejoined
with my grandma

who's passed away as well.

So there's that beautiful
aspect, and I know he's there,

but I just-- it just
hurts because he's

not here with me anymore.

Many of the aspects of the show
itself honor your ancestors

and honor the people that have
passed and gone before you.

And my brother has passed and
has taken the next stage of life

before me.

One fellow performer who
influenced Malcolm more than any

was Lesieli
Tameifuna from Tonga,

who is Leilani's big sister.

They met while dancing
together in the canoe show,

found an instant connection
and soon married.

She actually was
the one to help me

write my application for
school and submit it,

and eventually I got
accepted into BYU-Hawaii.

I'm majoring right
now in graphic design.

One, two, three!

We have a baby on the way.

I just want to thank
all you guys for coming.

It was really emotional
because in light

of a recent passing
of my brother,

we decided that whether
it was a boy or a girl,

we would name our
child after Micah, so--

and it's his birthday
today, so yeah!

Yeah.

All right.

Hey, baby.

How are we feeling?

You're OK?

OK.

Only four months
into the school year,

Malcolm and Lesieli are about to
undergo a dramatic life change.

All you gotta do is walk inside
and they'll help us through, OK?

Congratulations.

Cry, baby, cry.

Just this morning,
they have become

proud parents of a baby girl.

Hi, mom.

Hi, dad.

Here's the new
addition to our family.

Baby Micah.

He is adorable.

This morning, Malcolm
and his beautiful wife--

Seven pounds, 8 ounces.

So let's hear it for Micah!

With a semester behind them,
how are the incoming freshmen

progressing?

Huala'i continues
putting the hula skills

she learned as a young girl to
good use in the Hawaii village,

and she's learning more
about her culture every day.

When I dance hula, I try
to be the storyteller.

Storytelling isn't just
through your voice.

It's also through your hand
motions, your feet motions,

your facial expressions.

That's how our ancestors did it.

Jason, who made the
cut for the night show,

is steadily progressing,
hoping to work his way

into more prominent roles.

At first when I started off, I
feel nervous, kind of scared.

I was doing like, only overture,
which is the beginning section.

And then after that, I stayed
backstage till the finale, which

is the concluding section.

But then now I'm like, on for
most part of the show now.

I think one thing that's
very important I'm

able to perform my culture.

Josephine, who started
as a dishwasher,

has experienced the most
significant job change.

Well, I'm a tour guide now.

It's a really fun journey.

At first it was
kind of challenging

because it's very new.

I enjoy meeting people from
different parts of the world

and just seeing the
excitement on their face

whenever they go and go through
activities, go to shows.

Like, I shared before,
in Polynesia, there's

a sort of Polynesian triangle.

This job is very fit for
me because of my major

in psychology, able to
help me with communication

skills, people skills.

I don't really miss dishwashing
because being a tour guide

is more involved with
people and that's

where I'm most comfortable at.

On the other side--

Monson, in the carver shop, has
taken his skill to another level

and has gained new appreciation
for his culture and family

heritage.

This is a piece that
we are currently

working on to replace
in the Aotearoa village.

The cool part about
it is the fact

that these carvings that
we are replacing originally

were made by Monson's great
grandfather, Hone Taiapa.

So I'm replacing my great
grandfather's carvings,

which is really, really
cool to think about that.

It would have been just over 60
years now since he carved those.

Once I started
carving here, I was

very intrigued about learning
more about the history of it.

So this is actually meant to
represent my great grandfather,

so the master carver.

Once it's finished, I'll gloss
it, put a nice finish on it,

just to give it a nice shine,
and then hopefully it'll

be put up in the village
so everyone can see it.

I really want to
make my family proud.

I want them to be
proud of the son

that they have that's coming
here to learn his culture,

to pay his respects to
his great grandfather

and learn the art that
he was so amazing at.

As Monson and other freshmen
continue to progress,

there are some new developments
for more experienced

upperclassmen who have
been invited to apply

for a special scholarship.

Move in!

And until this moment,
none of the students

know who among them
has been selected.

Dear Leilani, we are
thrilled to inform you

that you have been selected to
receive the Polynesian Culture

Center homeward
bound scholarship,

an opportunity funded by the
private donations, that allows

a select group of
students to return home,

to their native country to
visit family and friends.

All expenses paid.

Aw.

Congratulations, Leilani.

We hope you will enjoy your
trip home to Tonga, where

friends and family, who have
so wonderfully supported you

with no doubt, will
be excited to see you.

We love you, Leilani.

Congratulations!

I'm excited to call my parents.

My dad especially.

I've been away from home for a
little over four years, so yeah.

Leilani's route to Tonga is
long and anything but direct.

Over the next 36 hours, she will
fly from Hawaii to Los Angeles,

then back across the
Pacific to New Zealand.

From there she will fly to
Fiji where, due to COVID, she

was stranded the last time.

The last leg of her journey
takes her home to Tonga.

After landing in Tonga,
however, she still

has one last leg to go.

The last four hours of her
journey will be spent on a ferry

that will deliver Leilani to
her tiny home island of Eua,

population 5,000.

It didn't feel real
up until the time

that I get to come
here to Tonga.

Wow.

Ever since COVID happened,
and the whole time I

wasn't able to come
home, oftentimes I

have that picture in
my mind, that picture

of me coming into the world
and my family standing

there and greeting me.

And so I got a little emotional
because arriving at the--

I realized that all
of them are here.

Like, I'm really home.

When I hugged my parents,
that's when it hit me.

It's real, it's not
a picture anymore.

It's me looking at it right now.

I'm starting to see my
family, my uncle, my cousins.

Just seeing them coming
out one by one, I'm like--

like, all of them are here.

Like, I'm really home.

I got all these mixed feelings.

Like, I'm home, I'm excited.

Like, when I-- when I'm
excited, I cried also.

And so that's just part of
my expressing of my emotions.

I still can't believe I'm home.

Leilani's first full day in
Tonga is business as usual.

Within 24 hours, Leilani finds
herself bound for the family

plantation to do what she's
done every day since she

was a little girl.

When I came back home,
I already in my mind,

like, I already know we're
going to work at the farm.

Like, it's just tradition.

Ever since growing up in
the morning, we go do that.

And so when I call my
brothers, hey, I'm coming home,

they're like, oh,
yeah, well, get ready.

We're going to the farm.

You know the drill.

And I was like, what?

I'm not getting a special
treatment this time?

They're like, nope.

So wherever you
go, you come back

home, that's still how we do it.

Hey.

Coming here to the plantation
is our everyday life here.

And with my family, it's like
we spend most of our time

here because this is
where we get our living.

Everything we need is
here at our plantation.

We don't bring water
or anything here

because we know the coconut is
cool enough during the morning.

Family time is what I
miss most here from home

because we do
everything together.

And if one struggles,
everyone struggles.

Leilani's dad is surprising
her with a special excursion

that he's arranged
with a friend.

Something rare and unique
in all of Polynesia.

Oh, yeah.

It's over there.

It was scary for me at first.

Like, I didn't want
to get into the water,

but I'm going with my dad.

Gives me the strength.

When he got in the water, I was
like, OK, I can survive this.

It's just jumping in
and being able to have

that experience with him.

Throughout Polynesia,
the whale is

considered to be symbolic of
peace, wisdom, and longevity.

It feels like there's a
connection between you and them.

At one point, I was able to
make eye contact with two.

They came up together, but
I wasn't scared at all.

I feel like I wanted to
be in the water forever.

To get to swim with
the whales, it's

like-- it's a different level.

It's like-- it's beautiful.

And yeah, you kind of feel
this spirit of the islands,

like, this is beautiful.

This is my island.

Wow.

This used to be a big school
to me when I was little.

But now, looking back
at it, after going

to America and places like that
and come back, you're like,

oh my gosh, this is so little.

See that forest over there?

Full of wonderful
fruits that you can get.

So if you need fruit
for lunch, you go there.

And my parents couldn't afford
to give us any lunch money

or lunch, so when we finished,
when it's lunch time,

we always rush back home,
where kids will stay here,

eat their lunch and stuff like
that, but we go home because--

Not because we go to eat
lunch, but because we're

ashamed that we
didn't have lunch

to stay here and eat lunch.

We all understand that parents
couldn't afford us lunch,

so we just kind of
learned how to make lunch.

Like, pick up guava, being
independent at a young age.

I thought we were rich,
but now growing up,

I know we were so poor.

But we were rich
in sense where we

were taught to be independent
and learn to budget everything

that we have at a young age.

Just looking back at who I
was and what my little dream

when I was little,
and my dream now, I

think it motivates
me to keep dreaming

and keep trying to hit those
dreams that I can achieve them.

I'm just happy to
be here, and I'm

trying to enjoy every
minute that I have here.

Being here with my family,
it's a great strength

that comes from them.

Leilani's last day at home
is full of mixed emotions.

Yes, she will miss her family
and they will miss her,

but they all instinctively know
the nature of the environment

she's going back to.

For centuries, Laie has
been a place of refuge.

In ancient times for
Hawaii, it was a Pu'uhonua.

One of the boundaries
for the Pu'uhonua

runs right through our
nursery here at PCC.

We're standing here
at the boundary.

The boundary name
was pa-paa-koko,

named after an event that
happened when a warrior was

trying to escape his enemies
and just about ready to get him,

but he made it over the wall.

And so they stopped
and he was safe.

Pu'uhonua was a place of refuge.

The Pu'uhonua changes
people's lives.

When you leave
the Pu'uhonua, you

are totally, totally
different person.

Over the years, thousands
of students have experienced

the spirit of Pu'uhonua,
truly a place of refuge,

which perhaps explains why
so many former students have

returned for the
60th anniversary.

We are all related and
I'm from the class of 89.

Class of 85.

Class of 68.

Class of 66.

Class of 63.

Over the next three days,
former student employees

will gather from
around the globe.

We're excited just to go back.

I wanted to take my family, too.

I'm excited to
take Lawrence so we

can see the place where we met.

So when I was
ushering here, there

was a performer
named Tane Falevai.

Come, my Ohana.

Give ear to the story of
my father's and yours.

And he, at the time,
was doing Mana.

Man, this guy was
a solid performer.

He knew what he was doing.

It's almost been five years
since we've been at PCC.

It was my life in Hawaii.

Hey!

It don't matter where
they go in the world,

they always come
back to PCC, to home.

For them, this is where they
went to college, make friends.

They grow up, married.

So it's a very special place
for them to come back to.

Yay!

There's so much spirit of
love and Aloha on that stage.

And so we learned by ohana that
the breath of life lives on.

Everybody says, their time,
their show is the best.

I can say that my time was
the best time, but you know,

we already passed the
torch, so it's their time

and hopefully they
do it better than us.

Many alumni will have the
opportunity to dance together

one more time.

A private show just for
alumni and their families.

This is the only
chance that I'll

be able to perform with
people that are older than me.

Like, during the
show, I was only

performing with my
generation, but it'll

be good to perform
alongside with them.

There are some that-- they
were the lead character or lead

performer on their time.

So being able to be with those
guys and rub elbows with them

and talk to them a
little bit and hang out.

I was getting a little
rusty, but yeah.

Hey, what's up, man?

This is big Tane.

This is the big
Mana, the big Maui.

When I first came
here to PCC, this guy

was the face of the
PCC for a while, man.

This is who I aspired to be.

And in a few years
later, he trained me.

So he's the one who
got me to where I am.

When I do Mana, so I'm
trying to be like this guy,

because I used to watch him
every night as an usher.

It was great.

Tane.

This is the other Mana.

This is the next Mana.

It's the one-- one, two, three.

Yeah, next generation
Mana right here, man.

This is the guy I trained.

Aloha,
and welcome home.

Let's enjoy our alumni show
for the 60th anniversary

of the Polynesian
Cultural Center.

You can see in the eyes
of these people who

performed over the years,
genuine and authentic

appreciation for the place.

They were celebrating a
very, very important thing

that the PCC did for them
early on in their lives.

The 60th reunion has come
and gone and long standing

relationships rekindled.

But for the students who
have called this place home,

nothing is more iconic or more
meaningful than graduation.

I'm excited for
graduation, but I'm

kind of scared because I don't
know what I'm going to do next.

I feel like so much
of our time at school

is working to graduate,
graduate, graduate.

And now that I'm almost
there, I'm like, oh, wait,

there's so many things
I have to do after this.

And being here at
PCC and being at BYU,

I learned to really
get outside of myself.

With graduation
coming up, just--

yeah, it's going
to be really hard.

For me it's like having
another daughter leave

and not ready for it.

At least she knows that she
was loved and supported,

that it's time for her to
go to the next chapter.

I really look forward to
walking over during graduation

and to just be
finished with school.

As much as I loved
school, I think

I loved the environment
and the PCC a lot better.

The reality of my
job is that make

sure that they come here, get an
education, graduate and leave.

These kids are not staying
and that's the hard part,

to finally let them go.

It's hard.

We never get used to it.

You can never
replace them, but you

hope that there's somebody like
them that's going to come along.

Graduates, family, friends
and guests, aloha, kakou.

Aloha.

At this commencement, BYU-Hawaii
will award 418 degrees.

Our graduates represent
34 different countries.

It's an incredible group that's
going to do wonderful things.

I just want you to know that
I love you and I'll miss you.

Congratulations.

From Australia, Mele Kathryn
Marcin Toli magna cum laude.

Hard work is finally
going to pay off.

There are so many
people behind us

rooting for us,
and so many people

who have supported us in our
journey and just getting here.

So it will be good to finally
graduate and give them

something, here, we made it.

From Tahiti, Atea
Jessie Lee Chip Sao.

Looking at myself now, I just
feel like I have so much more

to bring.

As a symbol of this
important achievement,

please move your tassels from
the right side to the left.

It was really good to be able to
come here, work, go to school,

and then at the end
I'm going to be fine.

Graduation for me, even though
I get to receive my diploma

and to finish my path in
school, I think for me,

the most important
part is that I

developed all these
relationships with these people,

with all my friends.

We can really feel that
he's made lots of friends

and he found another home.

Other institutions, especially
private universities,

are so astronomically expensive
that most students, when

they graduate, are in
debt for almost for life.

The mission isn't about being
a top tourist destination.

It's about employing students
for the benefit of them

going to school.

Students are able to
get an education almost

for free, which is unheard of.

I believe the purpose here
is to be an example, to show

the world that we
don't have to hide

from the complexities
of being diverse,

that we can come together,
celebrate that, and benefit

from it in really
incredible ways.

A lot of us kids were able
to come from the islands,

be able to get an education
because of this place.

PCC impacts our lives
so much because it

created a family for us.

I found a place here.

I found a family here.

I found people who benefited my
life in the most positive way.

Kind of like a refuge, right?

So we talk about Pu'uhonua.

This place is a place
of refuge for me

physically and spiritually
and academically.

There's happiness
and joy everywhere.

You see people, you
can't help but smile.

Tourists come here, get a rest
from their day to day lives.

Students come here and work,
we get a rest from our day

to day lives.

Our hope here at PCC
is that everybody

who comes upon our grounds
will feel some peace,

leave the cares of
the world behind.

There is an actual
Aloha environment there,

and a sense of safety,
a sense of protection

from the turmoil of the world.

That's a pretty special place.

And any organization that
ends up funding education

is good by me because the
more educated people we have,

the more tolerance we have,
the more economic opportunity

we have, the better families do.

People came here with
a bunch of problems,

but there is a special spirit
over here that can heal people.

And I think that's why people
come to the Polynesian Cultural

Center and go home and
they feel different.

If they come here and they
spend time with our students,

they will feel
something different,

and it will be something that
they can't forget and always

want to be part of.

Here at the Polynesian Cultural
Center, we find common ground.

We find that we love
the same things.

We find we have the
same sense of humor.

We have the same goals.

We find we all love our
families more than anything.

If they can see here at PCC
what we want the whole world

to experience, then I think it
gives us hope that, yeah, we

can live in a world of peace.

It means that by coming
here, by allowing

us to share Aloha with
you, and you in turn

sharing Aloha back with us,
you become part of our family.

We become one ohana
sharing Aloha.

And then it's our
hope that this feeling

that you had of saying
hi to perfect strangers

at the Polynesian
Cultural Center,

sharing a laugh with other
people, you take that with you

and that we collectively
help the world

become one ohana sharing Aloha.