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Title: A Way Out
Runtime: 11 min
Country: USA
Director: Lan Deal, Shereen Balles
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2024
Synopsis: Against the backdrop of Hawaii’s beauty, a native wahine struggles with her partner’s mental illness manifest as rage… finally, she transcends her legacy of domestic violence, conquers her fears to become a beacon of strength for her community.
Born of the complex and conflicted crucible of contemporary native communities, our film tells an intimate and tragic tale of one of thousands of =all too tragic tale of mental illness, kane rage, wahine disempowerment and a family’s descent into a violence turned inward. Rooted in historical trauma, our narrative follows our anti-hero’s decent into an earthly hell. her odyssey exposes an all to prevalent of violence turned inward. back to her roots and forward towards healing a young kanaka wahine survivor. Rooted in historical trauma, the narrative takes us on her journey back to her roots and forward towards healing. Mele’s journey is a testament to the human spirit. She becomes an inspiration, leading others on a path back to the future, where native knowledge, forgiveness, respect for the land and culture, emerge as guiding wisdom for a modern world.