Archive ReferenceITM-24485Title Number24485Date (YYYY-MM-DD)2000SummaryHolo Mai Pele initially premiered as a stage production on Maui in 1995. It was created by revered Nā Kumu Hula Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele and Nālani Kanakaʻole, who turned this epic three-hour theatrical performance into a one-hour special for public television.
The film version was funded by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) and appeared on PBS' Great Performances. It represented the most visible treatment of hula to appear in national media and was the first time that anything from the Pacific had been selected for the program. Holo Mai Pele features the full perfomance plus behind-the-scenes rehearsals and on-stage performances of the hālau. Luana Busby-Neff narrates the epic tale, created by Kumu Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele and Kumu Nālani Kanakaʻole, about Pelehonuamea, goddess of the volcano, and her youngest sister, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele.
See full length at PIC's YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpvtAnAJa-E
Or from 'Oiwi TV's website https://oiwi.tv/oiwitv/holo-mai-pele/CollectionPacific Islanders in CommunicationsParent CollectionHolo Mai Pele production materials
Holo Mai Pele. 'Ulu'ulu: The Henry Ku'ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai'i, accessed 09/07/2025, https://uluulu.recollectcms.com/nodes/view/2570
