Every Day in Kaimuki

A young radio host and skater decides to move to New York, and leave behind his life in Kaimuki, the small Hawaiian town where he grew up. However, his decision will have unexpected consequences on a personal level, affecting his work and his romantic relationship.

Honolulu-based filmmaker Alika Tengan makes his debut with Every Day in Kaimuki, a film that premiered at the last edition of Sundance. The film’s lead actor, Naz Kawakami, is co-writing the screenplay with Tengan, offering the viewers a simple but intimate story about leaving home. It is also an amazing example of the best low-cost indie of the 21^st century.

Located 9 and a half hours away from New York by plane, the town of Kaimuki, Hawaii, is the kind of paradise from which no inhabitant wants to move away. The protagonist of Every Day in Kaimuki has his family, his partner, his friends, his job, and his skateboard. But there is something wrong; he thinks there is a part of himself he can only find in New York. And this is where a painful countdown begins where he will have to weigh whether the life he believes awaits him will bring him more satisfaction than the one he already has in Hawaii.

Firm in its intentions and with a dedicated protagonist, Every Day in Kaimuki is a treat for viewers who love short, well-told stories.

Credits

Title: Every Day in Kaimuki
Year: 2022
Runtime: 81′
Country: USA
Direction: Alika Tengan
Screenplay: Naz Kawakami, Alika Tengan
Cast: Reanna Barboza, Jordan Cheng, Joshua Co
Cinematography: Chapin Hall
Genre: Drama
Subtitles: Jara Segura, Olga Gómez Balduz
Contact: Eastern Standard Times

Wins and nominations

2022: Sundance Film Festival