Timeless Craft: Building Mauloa (2014)

Timeless Craft documents the construction of a Pacific Island coastal sailing canoe using traditional tools, methods and materials. Weaving an atmosphere of quiet beauty and reverence, the film evokes a time when the ancestors of today's Polynesians sharpened their rudimentary stone adzes on whetstones and crafted their vessels with grace and artistry, while respecting solemn rituals and ancient spiritual traditions. Since the introduction of Western economic and social values, many aspects of Pacific Island cultures and their rich maritime history have disappeared or are endangered. Relearning the ancient arts associated with the Pacific's central artifact, the canoe, preserves a legacy which was essential to the settlement of Oceania and becomes an important way for islanders to reinforce their cultural identity.