‘Making the Line’ documentary offers unvarnished look at Merrie Monarch champions
HONOLULU (Hawaii News Now) – A new documentary premiering at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival is taking viewers behind the scenes of one of hula’s most prestigious stages, following the journey of this year’s winning hālau through heartbreak and triumph.
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“Making the Line” chronicles the intense preparations, personal sacrifices, and high stakes that defined Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua’s path to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo.
Filmmaker, director, and producer Zilla Barbosa spent three and a half years documenting the group’s road to competition.
“This film was born out of pure curiosity,” Barbosa said. “I’m a local girl, but I grew up watching the Merrie Monarch like everybody else.”
“I think that people will really love this story, not only because it’s rooted in Hawaiʻi and it’s about two incredible people who are native to Hawaiʻi, but I think it’s a human story,” she added.
Demanding excellence on the stage
The film dispels common assumptions about the cultural art form, presenting hula preparation with the same intensity seen in elite professional athletics.
“The biggest misconception about hula is that it’s easy, and that’s definitely not it,” the film’s trailer shared. “These kids work hard — just as hard as any NFL player.”
The documentary’s title highlights a deeply emotional hurdle every dancer faces before stepping onto the stage: earning a spot in the competition lineup.
“Some people don’t make the line, and that’s really, really devastating for a hula dancer,” Barbosa said.
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A balance of leadership and heartbreak
At the heart of the hālau are Nā Kumu Hula Robert Keʻano Kaʻupu IV and Lono Padilla, whose contrasting leadership styles forged hula mastery. Students describe Kumu Lono as a “teddy bear,” while Kumu Keʻano is the passionate disciplinarian.
“The purpose of me being a kumu hula is to be able to see my kumu in my students,” Kumu Lono said in the film.
In practice, the focus remains absolute.
“We don’t go to Merrie Monarch to lose,” said Kumu Keʻano in the film.
The documentary also delves into the painful split between the two kumu after 23 years together, which left the hālau devastated.
“I think as a filmmaker, your mind goes, ‘Oh my God, where does this film go now? Where does the story go? Do we stop filming?’” Barbosa recalled.
Triumph in Hilo
Filming continued, and the hālau persevered with hula as their anchor. Their resilience culminated with their kāne winning the overall title at this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival.
“It was insane,” Barbosa said of their winning performance. “I think when I saw the girls perform, there was this gust of wind that just came through the arena and it was almost like spiritual, where you just kind of go like, ‘Wow, something big is about to happen.’”
How to watch
“Making the Line” makes its world premiere at HIFF on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Consolidated Theatres Kāhala.
Filmmakers are currently seeking to raise $80,000 to cover final post-production costs. More information is available at www.makingthelinedocumentary.com
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