  {"id":212140,"date":"2025-03-11T23:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=212140"},"modified":"2025-03-11T23:30:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:30:48","slug":"uh-hilo-filmmaker-honors-katsu-goto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/11\/uh-hilo-filmmaker-honors-katsu-goto\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo filmmaker ramps up production honoring 19th century Hawai\u02bbi Island hero"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n<figure id=\"attachment_212153\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-212153\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-2.jpg\" alt=\"Film crew\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-212153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-2.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-2-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-212153\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ryan Kawamoto at the camera while producer Patsy Iwasaki records the scene on her phone (Photo credit: Bob Douglas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After years of setbacks, Patsy Iwasaki, an assistant professor of English at the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at Hilo is bringing her long-awaited documentary on Katsu Goto back to life. The film is now in its final stages after delays caused by the loss of its original director and the COVID-19 pandemic. A fall completion date is now in sight.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_212154\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-212154\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-portrait-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Katsu Goto\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-212154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-portrait-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-portrait-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-portrait.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-212154\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katsu Goto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Goto, a Japanese immigrant and plantation laborer, arrived in <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> in 1885 and later became a businessman and labor rights advocate in <span aria-label=\"Honokaa\">Honoka&#699;a<\/span>. His activism led to a tragic fate\u2014he was found hanging from a telephone pole, lynched in <span aria-label=\"Honokaa\">Honoka&#699;a<\/span> town in 1889. Iwasaki\u2019s documentary, <span aria-label=\"Honokaa\">Honoka&#699;a<\/span> Hero, tells his story through reenactments, interviews and historical research.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> News<\/em> story:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/29\/hamakua-hero\/\">H\u0101m\u0101kua Hero: <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo observes legacy of lynched plantation champion<\/a>, September 29, 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The project suffered a major loss in 2018 when director Danny Miller passed away during post-production.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After taking time to process and heal from the great loss, it was another long journey to find an editor with the film and video skills, qualifications and heart to take on this very special project,&rdquo; Iwasaki said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-4-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Filming a documentary\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-212165\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-4-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-4.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>New and rekindled collaborations<\/h2>\n<p>Iwasaki ultimately selected Ryan Kawamoto, an <span aria-label=\"Oahu\">O&#699;ahu<\/span>-based director from Kinetic Productions with ties to East <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> to finish the project.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Waiakea High School graduate is a skilled director and cinematographer with a talent for storytelling,&rdquo; Iwasaki said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_212166\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-212166\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Two people costume fitting\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-212166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-1-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/hilo-goto-film-1.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-212166\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jackie Pualani Johnson fits costume on lead actor Kimo Apaka (Photo: Bob Douglas)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On January 19, cast and crew gathered for an 18-hour film shoot across multiple locations on <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> Island. Jackie Pualani Johnson, <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo emerita professor of performing arts, returned to oversee costuming and production coordination. Kristi &ldquo;Kea&rdquo; Kapahua, a <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo dance lecturer, choreographed a ballroom scene.<\/p>\n<p>Kimo Apaka, a <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo theatre alumnus reprised the role of Goto in the documentary\u2019s reenactment scenes. The cast includes <abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo students, alumni, and local community members, who also assist with hair and makeup.<\/p>\n<p>For more on the documentary go to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/hilo.hawaii.edu\/chancellor\/stories\/2025\/03\/04\/filmmaker-ramps-up-production\/\"><abbr>东精影业<\/abbr> Hilo Stories<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<em>By Susan Enright, and photos by Bob Douglas<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\n<div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_70063\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/csaCKFeyPsI?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"HONOKA&#039;A HERO: THE STORY OF KATSU GOTO - New Preview of Film\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=&#8221;2&#8243; css=&#8221;&#8221; grid_id=&#8221;vc_gid:1741771841221-e4db8312-404e-9&#8243; include=&#8221;212166,212165,212164,212163,212162,212161,212160,212159,212158,212157,212156,212155,212154,212153,212152&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Patsy Iwasaki is close to completing a long-awaited documentary on a Japanese immigrant and plantation laborer lynched in 1889.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[90,342,646,14,907,56],"class_list":["post-212140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-alumni","tag-english","tag-film","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-hilo-stories","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212140"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":212168,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212140\/revisions\/212168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}