NEWSLETTER

 Get ready to meet Pookie, Princess, Grock, Lono, Pele, and many more fascinating characters in John Zak's new book for children of all ages, POOKIE MEETS THE PRINCESS. In this magical tale, Pookie, a local Hawaiian wise guy of a cat, meets Princess, a royal kitty with delicate sensibilities. As these two creatures become friends, many adventures come their way.  Children will learn about aloha, forgiveness, character,  doing the right thing, caring for the environment and learning to respect each other and themselves, all through their interaction with Pookie, Princess, and their friends and family. 

Internationally acclaimed designer and illustrator, Raul Rodriguez, will bring his immense talent to the book with compelling illustrations that will bring every character and each adventure to life. Raul is the world's top designer of floats for parades the world over, especially the New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California. Together, John and Raul are creating an entire franchise around Pookie and Princess, including videos, audio CD's, plush toys, and other merchandising that will entertain children ages 10-14 (and their parents) while teaching them about Hawaii and its beautiful culture and natural environment. Updates to follow.

PULE WAILELE (HAWAIIAN WATERFALL PRAYER) WAS AWARDED THE 2007 TELLY AWARD IN THE DOCUMENTARY FILM CATEGORY. Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition and receives over 13,000 entries annually from all 50 states and many foreign countries.

The film was also an official selection for the 2007 Maui Film Festival. It screened on June 17, 2007 at 2 PM at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Castle Theatre. The film was screened as a double feature with THE MEN OF HALAU NA KAMALEI, a documentary about Robert Cazimero and his all-male hula dance troop. Both films were received with great enthusiasm by a capacity crowd. HAWAII"S REEL STORIES on OC 16 (TIME WARNER OCEANIC CABLE in HAWAII) aired a piece about PULE WAILELE and STARZ Network also featured segments of the film with interviews with John Zak. Also, thanks to Don Brown, creator of HAWAII'S REEL STORIES, PULE WAILELE screened at University of Hawaii at Manoa, again to an enthusiastic reception. PULE WAILELE  also screened in Zurich Switzerland on July 27th 2007.  This was the first international presentation of the film.

PULE WAILELE is in general release, for sale through www.booklineshawaii.com and amazon.com. Widescreen NTSC DVDs are now for sale, with a high definition BLU-RAY or HD DVD version to follow next year. See the "Links of Interest" page of this site. For me, making the film was a wonderful process, particularly working as a "one-man-band." I love working with a crew on scripted shows, but in this type of production, compact is the only way to go. What I find so thrilling about this kind of work is that I start with a series of questions, as opposed to a completed script. The story tells itself through the people and images that come forward, through the process of filming. I know it may sound melodramatic, but I feel most alive when I am filming or working in the edit room. There is an energy that comes into the room. I keep asking "What is it that wants to be revealed?" Then, connections between comments made by various people with whom I spoke on camera, begin to manifest. It is truly exciting.

The beginning questions for me were: "What was the depth and level of the connection between Hawaiians and the environment around them? Does it still exist? How are Hawaiians reconnecting to the land and caring for the land and the water?" The answers revealed a truth that I felt intuitively, but one that I could not immediately articulate. I found myself getting "chicken skin" as I reviewed each interview. The reality is that Hawaiians of old, and some Hawaiians of the present live in a way that is absolutely different from the "Western" model. Many other native cultures share this "way of being" with Hawaiians. Hawaiians see NO separation between themselves and their world, meaning that they commune and communicate with their spiritual and physical universe in a simple, but profound way. Those who watch PULE WAILELE will hear stories of people who ask plants to reveal themselves to the seeker, and to direct their healing powers so they will assist the healer in creating a cure for a person in need of medicine. They will hear stories of a lomilomi practitioner who spent three weeks alone in the rain forest as a boy, protected by wild animals who sat in a semicircle around his lean-to. Viewers will tour a garden that features one of the last pristine streams in Hawaii, and see thousand-year-old walls and irrigation channels that still provide perfect irrigation for the garden's taro patches.

Those who choose to view PULE WAILELE on the "surface" will come away hearing some interesting stories. Those who listen with their heart, will, in my view, get a glimpse of the true nature of Hawaii and Hawaiians that paints a picture far different from the hyped up image of tourist entertainments and resort getaways. A real Hawaii does still exist, but it does not parade itself for general tourist consumption. The way to begin a journey toward learning about it is to spend time with Hawaii's kupuna, elders. E NANA I KE KUMU....look to the source to understand where Hawaiians came from, and where they are going. The kupuna and the ancestors are that source.

I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the film, particularly to Brenda Mohalapua Ignacio who, in addition to being Coordinating Producer, was an invaluable part of this project.

ISSUES AND BLESSINGS programs 1 and 2 are now available on CD. These first two audio programs will help listeners turn losses and disappointments in their lives into learning. Other programs in the series will be available later this year. You can order CDs by contacting our website.

Life offers us happy and tragic moments in equal measure on occasion. My dear friend, Darlene Conley, passed away in January, 2007 after a battle with cancer. A memorial was held for her at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, in Los Angeles, followed by a tribute-reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Both events were heartfelt and deeply moving. Darlene was a unique artist and an equally unique human being. After a long career in theatre, film, and television, she made a big splash embodying the character of Sally Spectra on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. The series enjoyed unprecedented international success, and Sally was one of the most popular characters on the show. I traveled with Darlene to Europe, Barbados, and other locales, and she was received warmly and enthusiastically by all who met her. She is the only daytime soap star ever to have had a statue created by world famous Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. I accompanied Darlene to the Tussaud studio on the outskirts of London, where we chose the perfect color of hair and eyes for the statue.

Darlene was my friend, neighbor, and colleague for over 23 years. It is impossible to estimate the depth of loss that all of us who love her are experiencing. Spiritually, I am at peace in knowing that she is at peace but, on the earthly, human level, it is impossible to fill such a gap in one's life. The banquet room of the Hollywood Roosevelt was adorned with larger than life photos of a larger than life character...saucy, glamorous, loving and slightly larcenous. Though I, like others, revel in Darlene's brash creation, it is, quite honestly, not what I will remember most about my friend. I will remember many lonely times when I would come up to Darlene's apartment for a cup of strong black coffee and hours of good conversation. I would be wearing my running sweats and Dar would be in her housedress sporting thick glasses and not a stitch of makeup. I cannot count the number of times we sat up solving all the world's problems together, until a thin glow of orange crept above the San Gabriel Mountains to the East. Now that Darlene is gone, who will be there to help solve the world's problems? I guess I will just have to carry on. It will be a lonely task and not nearly as much fun without that wicked wit to put everything and everyone into proper perspective!

On the bright side, lucky Saint Peter is probably getting plenty of entertainment!