"The Roots of ʻUlu" ..New Breadfruit Documentary

[FloridaGreenMan]

There is a new documentary about the Breadfruit that recently premiered in Hawaii. It's a 36 min film and the trailer link is below. It looks like an excellent one. Thanks to the  Homegrown Food Network for sending me the information.... 

http://program.hiff.org/films/detail/roots_of_39ulu_the_2015

enjoy
FGM

[gunnar429]

There is a new documentary about the Breadfruit that recently premiered in Hawaii. It's a 36 min film and the trailer link is below. It looks like an excellent one. Thanks to the  Homegrown Food Network for sending me the information.... 

http://program.hiff.org/films/detail/roots_of_39ulu_the_2015

enjoy
FGM

Thanks, Noel.  I look forward to watching it.  I have a weird obsession with breadfruit....such a beautiful tree, especially with fruit on it.

[From the sea]

They taste good too.

[alexgardens]

Thanks Noel! Looks like an awesome documentary. Hopefully one day we can all see it

[georgesunny]

Thanks a lot Noel! Breadfruit is a wonderful gift!

[mikemap]

I attended the Hilo screening of this film last weekend and it was certainly enjoyable in the better-than-nothing sense since the topic is so near and dear to me as a daily consumer of this incredible delicious fruit, but don't get your hopes up. While it's not a facepalm disaster like that Fruit Hunters film, it's an awkwardly conceived, dilletantish effort that wastes its curiously short runtime on a lot of fluffy and tangential content and barely scratches the surface of breadfruit in its immensity. Its only redeeming quality is a nice (but tiny) snapshot of breadfruit from a Hawaiian cultural perspective, with a handful of awesome people like Jerry Konanui given a chance to express themselves in a beautiful way. The same filmmaker also screened his great documentary about a family in an epic valley on Molokai struggling to preserve their beautiful land and tradition in the wake of modernization/colonialization/etc. I think everyone in the audience got filled up with great vibes and warm emotions from both films.

[fruitlovers]

I attended the Hilo screening of this film last weekend and it was certainly enjoyable in the better-than-nothing sense since the topic is so near and dear to me as a daily consumer of this incredible delicious fruit, but don't get your hopes up. While it's not a facepalm disaster like that Fruit Hunters film, it's an awkwardly conceived, dilletantish effort that wastes its curiously short runtime on a lot of fluffy and tangential content and barely scratches the surface of breadfruit in its immensity. Its only redeeming quality is a nice (but tiny) snapshot of breadfruit from a Hawaiian cultural perspective, with a handful of awesome people like Jerry Konanui given a chance to express themselves in a beautiful way. The same filmmaker also screened his great documentary about a family in an epic valley on Molokai struggling to preserve their beautiful land and tradition in the wake of modernization/colonialization/etc. I think everyone in the audience got filled up with great vibes and warm emotions from both films.

I didn't see it, but could tell from the trailer the movie is designed for general public, most of which knows little or nothing about ulu (breadfruit). So how much can you do in an introductory movie in only 1/2 an hour? I think a full length feature could be made on ulu. There is so much fascinating history around this fruit, including the bit about Mutiny on the Bounty, Captain Bligh, and the huge ulu plantations that Captain Cook encountered when he landed in Kona. Not likely to happen though as most film makers and viewers only want to be entertained, not to be educated. This is a problem even with documentaries. Even ones like Fruit Hunters. It's good at least a little infromation is getting out to general public. But it's a very slow process.

[georgesunny]

Well said, Oscar, Thank You!

[King]

The Hawaiian people really should be getting back to traditional foods and away from fast food, canned and preserved food, and the plate lunch.  They never got fat in the past by eating a high starch diet of breadfruit, taro, and sweet potatoes with native fruit.  Obesity is common in Native Hawaiians because of fast food and imported food. They quickly lose weight when going back to a traditional diet.

[ricshaw]

The Hawaiian people really should be getting back to traditional foods and away from fast food, canned and preserved food, and the plate lunch.  They never got fat in the past by eating a high starch diet of breadfruit, taro, and sweet potatoes with native fruit.  Obesity is common in Native Hawaiians because of fast food and imported food. They quickly lose weight when going back to a traditional diet.

Couldn't the same be said for Northern California people? 

[fruitlovers]

The Hawaiian people really should be getting back to traditional foods and away from fast food, canned and preserved food, and the plate lunch.  They never got fat in the past by eating a high starch diet of breadfruit, taro, and sweet potatoes with native fruit.  Obesity is common in Native Hawaiians because of fast food and imported food. They quickly lose weight when going back to a traditional diet.

Couldn't the same be said for Northern California people? 

Yes. It's really a problem of lack of education and not of ethnicity.
Many island peoples have fallen prey to western mass marketing, fast foods, and junk food mentality.