Damien film a project of the heart for actor, director and Kalaupapa residents

By Lisa Benoit

The blond, clean-shaven Australian standing in the Honolulu airport waiting for a plane to Molokai looked different from the actor who played Father Damien in the recently completed film “Molokai: The story of Father Damien.”

But to his newest fans, namely the Molokai’s Kalaupapa residents who flew to “topside” Molokai to see him and the movie which premiered on their island last week, the actor still has the heart of Damien, though the auburn-dyed hair and beard are gone.

“He did terrific,” Katherine Puahale said, beaming proudly at a birthday luncheon for Wenham following a Sept. 21, 11 a.m. showing of the movie at Wallace Theatres in Maunaloa. She and other residents who acted in the film joined other cast-members for the special viewing for Kalaupapa residents only.

“I loved the way he talked,” she said. “He really had the way of Father Damien.”

She liked the whole movie.

“This movie is good,’ Puahale said. “It’s educational, especially for the young ones coming up, so they will not be afraid. I think from this movie, they will learn that leprosy is not as terrible a disease as they think it is. There are worse diseases around us.”

Wenham flew to Hawaii to attend the three-day premiere showings, Sept. 21-23, on Molokai, Maui and Oahu. Also in attendance were director Paul Cox and Hilde Eynikel, the author of the book on which the screenplay was based. Tickets quickly sold out for all performances. Additional showings were added on each island.

The movie was filmed primarily in Kalaupapa last year June. The cast, which starred such well known actors as Peter O’Toole, Kris Kristofferson and Sam Neil, also featured many of Kalaupapa 50 present residents.

During the four-month filming, Wenham chose to live in the small, secluded town with the Kalaupapa residents. He quickly made many friends, and following the premiere he celebrated comfortably with residents.

“I defy anybody to go to Kalaupapa and spend any time and not to be changed to some extent,” Wenham said. “It’s a humbling experience. And I feel extremely grateful for having had that opportunity to have lived there for nearly four months and to be involved in that community. I feel very lucky.”

Wenham said he was cast late for the role and had little time to research the life of Blessed Damien in preparation. He “rang” his Catholic parents in Australia to fill him in on the history of the 19th century Belgian missionary.

“For me, the best preparation was actually coming here two weeks before we started shooting and feeling the atmosphere of the place – the environment, speaking to the patients, getting an idea of what the history of this place is like,” Wenham said.” So many people had gone through absolute hell on this island and here was the story of this man who had transformed the place.”

After reading several biographies on Damien, Wenham said he was convinced from the Sacred Hearts priest’s life that one person can make a difference.

“There’s a common misconception, I suppose, that you have to act as a group in order to achieve something, but here’s an instance where, that’s not the case at all,” he said.

“One person transformed this whole place and also inspired people like Mother Teresa and Ghandi in their line of work. He brought worldwide attention to this place – one person. And during a time when there wasn’t any television or radio, it was quite an achievement.”

Wenham said he was pleased with the film and he hopes it will be picked up and widely released, although at the initial viewing it had not yet been picked up by a distributor.

“Hopefully this film gets a very wide release and shows people not only the history of this particular place, but gives people the understanding of the disease,” Wenham said. “The disease has a stigma to it – just the word ‘leprosy’ and ‘leper’ stirs particular images and emotions and once you know the facts about the disease, it’s so far removed from the image that most people have.”

After greeting Wenham in the lobby of the Moanalua Theatre following the showing, Kalaupapa resident Henry Nalapae said he thought the film was “really good.”

“And not because of the portrayal of the people; I think it had a good story in it as well,’ Nalapae said. “I think it will have a tremendous effect on peoples’ lives.”

During the endless hours spent filming in Kalaupapa, director Paul Cox developed a love for the people as well.

“I’d like to say how good it is to be back,” Cox told the standing-room only crowd at the Molokai opening. “To be here and to share this film with you now is everything. I want to thank you so much for all your help and spirit and without you backing it, it never could have been. God bless you.”

“It was done with a lot of love from both sides,” Cox said after the house lights went on following the first showing. Patients and friends swarmed around, showering him with leis, hugs and congratulations.

An earlier version of the film had opened months earlier in Belgium, but Cox was unhappy with the results. Cox had flown several Kalaupapa residents to Belgium for the premiere. Afterwards, he spent hours re-editing the film and “putting the heart back in it” before the Hawaii showing.

“I liked this one,” said Puahale, who had seen it in Belgium. “They cut off a lot of the film [in the first version].” She said that many more Hawaiian people graced the newer version, and that the Hawaiian music, which had been relegated to the background, now was prominent.

Kalaupapa resident Kuulei Bell who also starred in the film hopes the film will send a message of hope to the world from Damien and Kalaupapa.

“I hope it captured the serenity and love he showed for everybody of every denomination – just unconditional,’ Bell said. “His purpose in life was to be dedicated to others. And that is what life is all about. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here today.”