A Paradise Lost
Pacific Heartbeat

Oʻahu filmmaker Laurie Sumiye documents the strange and curious tale of a Hawaiian finch who sued the State of Hawaiʻi to prevent its imminent extinction, the first animal in history named lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit. The film weaves animation, archival footage and cultural preservation to visualize the landmark environmental case “Palila v. Hawaiʻi” as told by the stuffed Palila bird who sat at the plaintiff’s desk.