MOVIE - EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKI

A Movie Exploring a Journey of Heart and Home

A heartfelt slice-of-life portrait about a 20-something preparing to leave Honolulu for New York City.

Every Day in Kaimukī was co-written by longtime friends, Alika Tengan and Naz Kawakami, who wanted to capture the experience of moving far away from home. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Festival, making history as the first Native Hawaiian feature length film to do so.

The story follows Naz, a DJ and skater, wrestling with his identity and sense of home as he prepares to move from Hawaii to New York City. He is asked why he wants to leave such a beautiful place. “You know it’s going to be cold up there. Aren’t you going to miss the sun?”

Naz justifies his move, explaining his girlfriend, Sloane, has been accepted into a prestigious art program at Pratt. But Sloane reveals she was pressured to apply by Naz and admits her own reservations about leaving Hawaii.

Highlighting the joys and fears of young adulthood, as well as the existential criss of not being content living in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the movie is about the bittersweet experience of moving on from everything and everyone your know, of feeling grateful for what you have, but at the same time wanting something different.

Every Day in Kaimukī provides a local’s view of mundanity in modern-day Honolulu, capturing scenes of life, including locations like Manifest and KTUH, as well as the skate parks and low-rise apartment buildings. The film is a thoughtful exploration of individual aspirations and the bittersweet cost of pursuing them. The movie is available to watch on Tubi, YouTube, Apple TV, and Peacock.