Educational Media Reviews Online

In 1982, at the age of 32, Rell Sunn, Women’s Pro Surfer and avid snorkel diver, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The prognosis: one year to live. Here is the story of a remarkable life, likely lived to the fullest after she developed cancer. In Hawiian culture, relatives dream dreams before a baby is born that reveal the child’s name. In Rell’s case, her name was revealed as Kapolioka’ehukai or Heart of the Sea. Rell never was afraid of the ocean, knowing that her ancestors, who reside there as sea turtles or other creatures, would always protect her. Rell Sunn was widely known as “Aunty Rell” to the hundreds of Menahune (child) surfers that learned to surf and stay out of delinquency through Rell’s surfing-teaching and Menahune surfing contests, and as “Queen of Makaha” which describes the respect of all those who lived in or near Rell’s community or surfed at Makaha beach. Rell refused to give up to cancer, becoming a champion of Hawiian culture and breast cancer identification and self examination. Following 14 years of battling her cancer which eventually metastasized into her lungs, liver and brain, Rell Sunn died in 1998 at age 47, returning to the ocean, an immortal sea creature with her ancestors. And, as it becomes apparent throughout the film, Rell Sunn was loved by all she touched. The quality of this production is excellent: beautiful sun, beautiful surf and a beautiful personality. A special nod should be given Vivien Hillgrove who did such a marvelous job editing the images from home movies to digital videos in this seamless production.

This film, as Rell’s life, touches so many facets of life in Hawaii: the surf, the ocean, the need for children and adolescents to connect with something other than gangs and drugs in an economically depressed society. It also says so much about what one person can accomplish through love, sharing of self, and refusing to give in to infirmity. This film will enhance Asian American and general Social Studies collections in school, college and university libraries. It deals with American studies and women’s studies: a woman initially able to overcome economic adversity to raise her daughter and who was never defeated, even slowed down by disease and her eventual death.

Awards

• Audience Award for Best Documentary, San Francisco International Film Festival
• Special Jury Prize/Aloha Spirit Award, Hawaii International Film Festival
• Best Documentary Award, Ashland International Film Festival
• Audience Award for Best Documentary, Newport Beach Film Festival