Through Our Eyes

Hawaiian cultural practices are a source of pride and joy, but they have faced threats of extinction due to colonization and oppression. In Reclaim, Honor and his older brother Hanalei connect to their Hawaiian roots through language and the rigorous practice of hula, honoring their ancestors, preserving their heritage, and eventually rising to compete in the prestigious “Olympics of hula.”

“It doesn’t matter how old you are if you’re fighting for something that’s important,” says Kali, age 11. In Leading, kid activists Kali and Audre take action on issues they care about. Kali organizes a Black Lives Matter march with her Radical Monarchs troop, and Audre creates a school assembly about fighting Asian hate. On the way, they both show great commitment and lead by example.

This introspective portrait of loss intertwined with moments of joy reminds us of the too often forgotten consequences of the criminal legal system— the families of those left behind. APART follows three children, Lyric, Eric and Nnadji, as they grapple with their parents’ incarceration and try to maintain a deep connection despite physical distance.

The homelessness crisis can feel distant until seen through a child’s eyes. Shelter follows three unhoused children and their parents in L.A. as they seek steady shelter and try to keep their dreams alive. Skylar and Nicholas both live day to day, shuffling between temporary motel stays and living in cars; while Victoria’s family reclaims an abandoned house as their own.

More than three million children live in homes with US servicemembers and veterans who rely on caregiver support. Gabby, Terry, and Luther all have parents who were injured while serving, and each family has found their own unique way to heal the wounds of war.

Millions of people in the United States have been displaced by weather-related disasters that are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity due to climate change. In Uprooted, two sisters in Iowa face the loss of their farm due to climate change, while a family in Texas waits out the rebuilding of their home damaged by a hurricane.