Uncle Keʻeaumoku Kapu in Nā ʻAikāne o Maui during production of Sovereign, February 2023. Photo by Aj Feducia.

Sovereign (2023—), co-directed by Noah Keone Viernes and Sancia Miala Shiba Nash, is a feature length experimental documentary about Keʻeaumoku Kapu, a Kanaka ʻŌiwi community leader, activist, and caretaker of Nā ʻAikāne o Maui. Produced by North Beach-West Maui Benefit Fund, the film focuses on Kapu’s nearly 20-year battle, in and out of the U.S. court system, to reclaim his kuleana land in Kauaʻula valley on the island of Maui. Sovereign is a testament to the resilience of one family, whose efforts serve as a source of guidance for future generations pursuing land and water rights.

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