Tom Vendetti’s documentary on Nona Beamer Hawaiiana: TRT: 57 minutes
The new documentary “Hawaiiana,” pays homage to revered Hawaiian treasure Aunty Nona Beamer. Directed by Maui-based filmmaker Tom Vendetti, the documentary employs rare footage and vintage interview material to paint a moving portrait of a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to perpetuating Hawaiian culture.
The film includes rare black-and-white footage of her dancing hula as a child, extracts from various interviews, film of the Aloha Music Camp on Kauai, and a scene of Aunty Nona joining Keola Beamer on his classic “The Beauty of Mauna Kea,” accompanied by Moana Beamer dancing hula.
It was Aunty Nona who coined the term “Hawaiiana” in 1949, to describe the best of all things Hawaiian and the essence of aloha. All this while raising her two sons, Keola and Kapono Beamer, who became leading lights of contemporary Hawaiian music.