Silent Years (2004)

After years of repression, a woman must journey back to her past and confront memories of teenage abuse while growing up on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Director:

James Sereno

Writer:

Lois-Ann Yamanaka

Stars:

Julie Nagata, Matthew Miller, Wil Kahele

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Julie Nagata	...	Girl
Matthew Miller	...	Jimmyboy
Wil Kahele	...	Uncle
Janice Terukina	...	Woman Narrator
Dennis Miyahara	...	Mr. Shimiyama
Bill Teter	...	Other Teacher
Tony Ignatio	...	Mr. Freitas
Reid Smith	...	Mr. Battung

Storyline

Lois-Ann Yamanaka's poems, "Saturday Night at the Pahala Theater," are dramatized in a story of a high school girl's physical abuse at the hands of her uncle and sexual abuse at the hands of Jimmyboy, a graduating senior and star of the school volleyball team. Male teachers are compliant in a cycle of violence that includes beer, a length of garden hose and a Brillo pad, idolatry of sports heroes, a double standard about girls' and boys' behavior, and a Dodge Dart.

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Taglines:

A story about a girl and the darker side of Paradise.

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Genres:

Short | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2004 (USA)

Filming Locations:

O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kinetic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

Very good film--and naturally hard to watch

This is a film featuring a Hawaiian woman's recollection of her teenage years of physical and sexual abuse. In light of this, it's a very hard film to watch and is certainly not fun by any sane standard. However, considering the sad subject matter, it is a good film and offers insight into the impact of this on a young girl's life. According to the Atom Films website, this film is about Hawaiian author Lois-Ann Yamanaka who apparently wrote poems about these experiences.

The way the film is made is a tad disconcerting at first because all the dialog and narration are done by the same person and they are in Hawaiian Pidgen English. Once you are used to the style of the language, it is very compelling. There are a few obscenities and violent situations, though you'd expect them in a film like this and it didn't seem gratuitous.