The Wind & the Reckoning

The film is set in 1893 on Kauaʻi, after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. As an outbreak of leprosy engulfs the island, the new government orders all Native Hawaiians suspected of having the disease banished permanently to the Kalaupapa Leprosy Colony on the island of Molokaʻi that is known as 'the island of the living grave'. When a local cowboy named Koʻolau (Jason Scott Lee) and his young son Kalei (Kahiau Perreira) contract the disease, they refuse to allow their family to be separated, sparking an armed clash with the white island authorities. The film is based on real-life historical events as told through the memoirs of Piʻilani published in 1906, titled Ka Moʻolelo ʻoiaʻiʻo o Kaluaikoʻolau (The True Story of Kaluaikoʻolau). == Cast ==

The film is spoken primarily in Hawaiian and subtitled in English, which makes it one of the first Hawaiian language films with an international distribution. For cultural and linguistic accuracy, Hawaiian cultural experts were called upon, including Leināʻala Fruean, Kumu Kaʻea Lyons, Kumu Kauhane Heloca, and Kumu Naʻauao Viva. The film was shot in late 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film's crew and cast were sequestered on a ranch on the island of Hawaiʻi. This was the final film appearance of Lance Kerwin. == Release ==

The Wind & the Reckoning had its world premiere at the Boston Film Festival on September 24, 2022 where it won Best Film. The film also won the Kumeyaay Award and the Audience Choice Best Feature Film award at the San Diego International Film Festival. ==Reception==

The film has a 50% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times found the film "too self-contained and the characters too one-note" and said "the film does not carry the emotional punch that the subject matter warrants." == References ==