Halawa Valley is one of the oldest inhabited locations in Hawaii. At the age of five, Pilipo Solatorio was chosen to be the carrier of Halawa’s ancient traditions. Now in his seventies, Pilipo is the last of his generation living in the isolated valley. He needs to find a successor to replace him as the carrier of Halawa's cultural treasures before they are lost forever. Will Pilipo's son, Greg, come home to take on the responsibility of carrying traditions forward, or will Pilipo’s two hanai (calabash) sons (Josh, a taro farmer, and Jason, a musician from New York) be left with the challenge? The struggles of modern life make it difficult for any one of these sons of Halawa to carry on a legacy that has been passed down for many generations. Only through true commitment and sacrifice will Halawa’s story and sacredness be kept alive.

Matt Yamashita was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He is of Japanese, Filipino, and Caucasian ancestry. After receiving a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University, Matt returned to Molokai to become the island’s first professional filmmaker. He has been working in the Hawaii film industry since 2001. Matt has unique expertise working within Hawaii-based communities, cultures, and environments and has dedicated the focus of his work to telling Hawaii’s stories through a local lens. Matt has held key roles in productions that have received statewide and national broadcast. He is well-known for his ability to deliver quality products while working with very limited resources and small production teams.