Film 'Niu Forever' closes festival run with Nov. 4 screening

The documentary 'Niu Forever' will hold its final public screening at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Consolidated Theatres Kapolei. The film serves as the closing feature for the 2026 Hawai'i International Film Festival.

Indrajit Gunasekara, a co-producer of the film, spent four years documenting his conservation efforts. He currently serves as vice president of the Koali Niu Coconut Gene Bank on Maui. The project captures a small fraction of that long-term work, focusing on the historical and future role of the coconut tree in the islands.

The film centers on the Hawaiian concept that human flourishing is tied to the growth of the coconut. Gunasekara identified three key areas where the tree provides value to the community. These include nutritional support, cultural identity, and ecological balance.

Gunasekara said his connection to the tree began in his native Sri Lanka. He noted that the tree offers everything generously, and he questioned how people receive that generosity. "We have a saying that when given generously, receive it generously," he stated. "And this is the kumu niu coconut tree. It gives us everything generously, and in our end, how generous are we in receiving?"

After initial public screenings, Gunasekara expressed surprise at the emotional impact the work had on viewers. He said he had not anticipated how deeply the film would resonate with local identity. "I didn't see when I was starting how powerful this is," he recalled. "How much it talks to the heart of the people as well as the identity of the place, identity of the trees, and the identity of a culture."