The team behind the acclaimed Hawaiian animated short Kapaemahu is back with a new animated short titled Aikāne.
It is an ancient term for intimate same-sex friends that has taken on new relevance with the worldwide resurgence of anti-LGBTQ hostility. The film Aikāne will have its Indian premiere at Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ film festival, on 11 June.
The visual world of Aikāne was built from the ground up, contrasting the stark landscapes and dizzying cliffs of the land above the surface, the site of conflict, with the rich colours and soothing motion of the sea below, where the heroes fall in love. Academy Award-nominated animator, designer, and co-director Daniel Sousa brings the characters to life with a smooth, flowing style reminiscent of Disney, portraying their emotions through subtle gestures and closeups.
Advocacy for LGBTQ rights was a key motivation for co-directors Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, a married couple whose film careers began with a documentary about the uproar that their own marriage announcement caused in Wilson’s rural hometown. Dan Golden provided the music and sound design for the pantomime film, making good use of underwater sounds captured by Hamer and Wilson in their free-diving expeditions together.
“At a time like this, when kids are being told that they can’t even say the word gay in school, we think that telling a queer love story with a happy ending is a beautiful and necessary form of resistance,” said Wilson.
The team invited legendary actor and trailblazing LGBTQ advocate Judith Light to come on as executive producer. She is much loved by the queer community for her pivotal roles in The Ryan White Story, Transparent, and other films that have brought LGBTQ visibility to the fore.
“I am honoured to be a part of this transcendent film that brings an inspirational message that love is love is love when it is so profoundly needed,” said Light. “It is a tale of the spirit, transformational and mystical in nature that resonates with love, courage, compassion and community.”
The official synopsis reads: Aikāne tells the story of an island warrior who falls into a strange underwater world after being wounded in battle. When the octopus who rescues him shapeshifts into a handsome young man, sparks fly and an epic adventure begins. Love, trust, and courage are the glue that bind the unlikely couple together in their fierce battle against foreign invaders.
New short Aikāne from the Kapaemahu makers was produced by Hamer and Wilson’s Qwaves in association with Kanaka Pakipika, the production company the couple formed for their trans-Pacific collaborations with Wong-Kalu.
The emphasis on queer love story made the film a good fit for the Kashish festival, founded by noted Indian queer filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan. The theme this year is “Be Fluid, Be You!,” reflecting the aspiration of the current generation to be fluid in their thoughts, actions, and sexualities. The festival will be held between 7 and 11 June at Liberty Cinema and 8 and 10 June at Alliance Française de Bombay.