"Death is an intimate experience, and how we lay our loved ones to rest, varies between cultures. KAPU: Sacred Hawaiian Burials sheds light on the ongoing battle by Native Hawaiians to protect burial sites across the state and the iwi, or sacred bones, that are within them.
For producer and director Keoni Kealoha Alvarez, his journey of protection started when he was 8 years old. That's when his brothers discovered a cave near their home in Puna on Hawaiʻi Island. Inside the cave were iwi of Native Hawaiians from generations past. Keoni took it upon himself to become the keeper of the cave. But years of safeguarding were threatened when developers came in and tried to plow through the area.
This film documents Keoni's contentious fight to legally protect the burial cave. It also looks at his path of self-discovery as he researched ancient Hawaiian burial practices and why it's so important and difficult to keep the sacred bones of his ancestors safe."