“Molokai: The Story of Father Damien” will make its Hawaii debut on Molokai
By Lisa Benoit
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The film “Molokai: The Story of Father Damien” which received much attention last June when it was being filmed on location on the remote Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai, will finally have its Hawaii debut on that island Sept. 21. Premiers on Maui and Oahu will follow on Sept. 22 and 23 respectfully.
Filmed on Molokai and Oahu, the story depicts the life of Father Damien from 1872, the year before his arrival in Kalaupapa, through his years ministering to the Hansen’s disease patients until his death in 1889.
The very first screening on Molokai will be a private viewing at 11 a.m. at the Maunaloa Town Cinema for Hansen’s disease patients living in Kalaupapa. Public screenings follow at the theater at 2, 5 and 8 p.m.
The film’s Maui premiere, 7:30 p.m. the next day at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, is already sold out. However, tickets are still available for the post-premiere fund-raiser at cultural center’s McCory Studio Theatre.
On Oahu, the premiere is Sept. 23 at the Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu followed by a post-premiere party at Indigo Restaurant.
Director Paul Cox, Australian actor David Wenham who plays Father Damien and the film’s producer, Tharsi Vanhuysse, will be attending all three screenings. They will be arriving in Hawaii from the Toronto Film Festival where the film is making its North America debut.
“Molokai: The Story of Father Damien” was written by John Briley, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay of “Gandhi.” The script was based on “Damiaan, de Definitieve Biografie” by Hilde Eynikel.
According to Georgette Deemer, manager of the state’s Film Industry Branch, the film production brought almost $7 million to the state economy and employed 60 Hawaii-based production personnel.
The film also stars Kris Kristofferson as Meyer, Peter O’Toole as Williamson, Sam Neill as Prime Minister Gibson and Kate Ceberano as Princess Liliuokalani.
Other films directed by Cox include “Man of Flowers” and “A Woman’s Tale.”
KHNL Hawaii News 8 will air an hour-long special, “The Making of ‘Molokai: The Story of Father Damien,’” Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.
For tickets to the post-premiere on Maui, call MACC’s McCory Studio Theatre at (808) 242-SHOW for more information. Tickets to the post premiere are $50.
On Oahu, call the Hawaii Theatre box office at 528-0506 for tickets and information. Tickets are $16, or $50 including the post-premiere party.
According to Maui Film Festival Directory Barry Rivers, all screenings will raise funds for Na Pu’uwai, Inc., the Molokai General Hospital and the Damien Foundation.
For more information, call the Maui Film Festival at (808) 572-3456, or visit its website at www.mauifilmfestival.com.