Some stories don’t just stay with you, they settle deep and quietly reshape the way you see the world. The Cost of Coming Back was that experience for me. Maybe it’s being a father and not being able to stop thinking about the children lost in the Kern County floods this past July 4th. Maybe it’s witnessing firsthand the devastation etched into both the land and the community. Maybe it’s both. I don’t know.
Spending time with Lorenna, Steve, Kathy, and Lee reminded me how much strength it takes to return - to rebuild while carrying the weight of what was lost. To truly love a place and its people enough to face the pain instead of walking away.
What stayed with me most from this shoot is how little support exists for small businesses after disasters like this. FEMA helps rebuild homes, and that matters, but when livelihoods disappear, recovery becomes nearly impossible. Communities can’t fully come back without the businesses that sustain them. As Kathy said in this video, “Businesses ARE people.”
Thank you @karlynmichelson and @incmagazine for believing in stories like this and inviting me along to film them. And thank you to Lorenna, Steve, Kathy, and Lee for trusting us with your story. Your resilience is something I will never forget.
KŪKULU follows Kānaka ‘Ōiwi cultural practitioners Aliah Irvine and Kēhau Kapu’a, working in the male-dominated practice of Hawaiian hale building, and their effort to restore cultural spaces nearly lost to colonial erasure.
KŪKULU was Directed and Produced by Aukai Ligairi, Produced by Terra DeBold, and Narrated by Auliʻi Cravalho.
KŪKULU is a production of Firelight Media for PBS AMERICAN MASTERS: IN THE MAKING. The documentary shorts series follows emerging cultural icons on their journeys to becoming masters of their artistic disciplines. There are 39 seasons of AMERICAN MASTERS and only 3 have ever featured Hawaiian or Pasifika artists. Previous entries include THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE, featuring Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Directed by Ciara Lacy and WATERMAN, featuring Duke Kahanmoku, directed by Isaac Halasima and Narrated by Jason Momoa.
KŪKULU had its World Premiere November 15, 2025 at the IFC Center as part of DOC NYC. Digital screenings are available @docnycfest through the end of the month. The film will play Documentary and Pasifika film fests through 2026 and air on PBS as part of the IN THE MAKING series in the Spring of 2026.
Featuring: @aliahirvine + @kehaunoeau
Narrator + Executive Producer: @auliicravalho
Director/Writer: @aukaiviti
Producers: @terradebold + @aukaiviti
Cinematographer: @ryan_walsh
Composer: @frankpeterpascale
Editors: @aukaiviti + @clihilihi
Story Producers: @jbromonroe + Adam Blackwell
Sound Design: @tobinova at @gowestaudio
Colorist: @vforvincent at @digital_sundae
Camera Operator: @histylemedia
Additional Cinematography: @nainoalanger@mchaeal@thegiddyupgoat@terradebold@aukaiviti
Additional music: @punahele695 + @mana_maoli
It’s funny to think that as a kid, I used to fall asleep listening to wolves howling on a cassette tape. Years later, while in Alaska filming a project for National Geographic, I actually got the chance to chat with a few. Childhood dream unlocked! (Don’t mind the soft focus. It was pitch black in the middle of the night and 50 below out)
from riverboatin’ to astro blastin’, Toon Town to Tomorrowland, and Mr Toad to Tom Sawyer, @ryan_walsh & @karipickering put the happy in happiest place on earth 🫶🏰🚢🏴☠️🚀
#marktwainriverboat #riversofamerica #tomsawyerisland #mrtoadswildride #mickeystoontown #buzzlightyearastroblasters #junglejuice #rafttotomsawyerisland #adventureland #happiestplace #disneydays #fantasyland #monstro
Two years ago today, I lucked out and caught a calm day filming on the Bering Sea. It sure was special!
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#beringsea #film #nationalgeographic #alaska #bbc #firstalaskans
After five years in the making, I’m happy to announce that my first feature length documentary, The Stan Project, will premiere at the East Lansing Film Festival this November. It will kick off the festival at 6:30pm on November 9th, at Studio C! in Okemos, MI. I will be in attendance as well as Stan Zuray, the subject of the film.
Michigan friends, I hope to see you there!
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#documentaryfilm #documentary #featurefilm #worldpremiere #eastlansingfilmfestival #letsgotothemovies #alaska #thestanproject
That’s a wrap on Chevak! We were blessed with a beautiful song from the Pingayak family upon our departure. What a wonderful experience to see a family happily sing together. Thank you Pingayak family for the memories of a lifetime!
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#singloudandproud #singingfamily #beautiful #memories #firstalaskans #nationalgeographic #bbc
