Chris Johns, Austin Gardner, Tucker Gragg | 2021 | 27 min.
2023 Official Selection
Hawai‘i’s native snail species face an emergent threat and are rapidly disappearing. Kāhuli: Hawai‘i’s Last Forest Snails is a cinéma vérité documentary that offers a glimpse into this largely unknown and complex world through the eyes of cultural and scientific experts, each of whom guide us through what stands to be lost if Hawai‘i’s snails go extinct. This urgent story bears unprecedented biological and cultural significance and reminds us that local nature is an embodiment of Hawaiian identity and a precursor to life on these islands. More broadly, this documentary encourages reflection on our relationship with the rapidly changing natural world and shows us that even the smallest species are worth saving.