Waikiki: In The Wake Of Dreams

WAIKIKI IN THE WAKE OF DREAMS
Written by Edgy Lee & Paul Berry

Although it encompasses only one square mile of sea and sand, Hawaii's Waikiki Beach has long been one of the most famous beachfronts in the world, and its sunny shores have been the definition of paradise for generations of visitors.

This rare historical look at the land and the people who call Waikiki home explores their contributions to American culture. From the royal sport of surfing to the invention of the ukulele, the steel guitar, and the modern swimsuit, you'll discover how small stretch of sand and its residents have had a far-reaching effect on American life.

The book brings us a Waikiki that for ancient Hawaiians was a place of healing and special power. Later, famous people - from 19th Century writers such as Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson to Hollywood movie stars - visited the legendary spot to savor Hawaiian culture and enjoy the good life. However, 'WAIKIKI' is not really about the countless celebrities who enjoyed Waikiki, rather it is about the ocean, the sand, the music and the people who give the area life.

"We hope this book will inspire people to come back to Waikiki, see it with different eyes, and appreciate its deeper history" says Lee.

Waikiki: In the Wake of Dreams is accompanied by a documentary film that debuted at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. in November 2000. Since then, the film has premiered in Hawaii at an outdoor showing at Kuhio Beach attracting 5000 viewers. (projected onto a 22-by-30-foot screen during a full moon at Diamond Head as a backdrop.) July of 2001 in New York at another open-air screening, Waikiki received rave reviews from Variety (the film industry's oldest trade paper) and Filmmaker Magazine (the film industry's newest magazine) and juries recently awarded the film a 2001 Gold Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival (INTERCOM), one of the oldest film competitions in the country.

Filmmaker Edgy Lee has won critical acclaim for her work as a filmmaker and writer. Her first documentary film made in Hawaii was Papakolea (1993), about the Hawaiian homestead near Punchbowl, which won numerous international awards. Her next film Paniolo O Hawaii (currently broadcasting worldwide in 17 languages) received awards from the Chicago International Film Festival for documentary film direction and individual achievement in writing to co-writers Edgy Lee and Paul Berry who also co-wrote Waikiki.

Waikiki will premiere in Southern California on Oct 12 & 13 at the Santa Ana Center for Performing Arts. For more information: filmworkspacific@aol.com or call 808/5859005