Cane Fire

Name: Cane Fire
Genre: Documentary
Released: May 20, 2022
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 78
Cast: Alfred Castillo, Anthony Banua-Simon, Bam Bam, Bing Crosby, Henry Bermoy

2022

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Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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Cane Fire

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Movie Details & Credits

Cinema Guild | Release Date: May 20, 2022 | Not Rated

Starring: Alfred Castillo, Anthony Banua-Simon, Bam Bam, Bing Crosby, Henry Bermoy, Joan Blackman, John Allen, Lex Barker, Mari Blanchard, Pierce Brosnan

Summary: The Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi is seen as a paradise of leisure and pristine natural beauty, but these escapist fantasies obscure the colonial displacement, hyper-exploitation of workers and destructive environmental extraction that have actually shaped life on the island for the last 250 years. Cane Fire critically examines the island’sThe Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi is seen as a paradise of leisure and pristine natural beauty, but these escapist fantasies obscure the colonial displacement, hyper-exploitation of workers and destructive environmental extraction that have actually shaped life on the island for the last 250 years. Cane Fire critically examines the island’s history — and the various strategies by which Hollywood has represented it—through four generations of director Anthony Banua-Simon’s family, who first immigrated to Kauaʻi from the Philippines to work on the sugar plantations. Assembled from a diverse array of sources—from Banua-Simon’s observational footage, to amateur YouTube travelogues, to epic Hollywood dance sequences — Cane Fire offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast Indigenous and working-class residents as "extras" in their own story. [Cinema Guild]… Expand

Director: Anthony Banua-Simon

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 min

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Critic Reviews

Benjamin Franz

Jun 23, 2022

Cane Fire is a fascinating documentary, and I would recommend it to any American to watch. We should see what is wrought by claiming an archipelago from the people who actually owned it. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Robert Daniels

May 20, 2022

It’s so refreshing to see an unhurried, patient documentary, one that trusts its audience to follow along rather than relying on cheap gimmicks to manipulate emotions. Read full review

Carlos Aguilar

May 20, 2022

An indispensable watch, Banua-Simon’s first feature focuses on the island of Kauaʻi and the history of its exploitation as a colony, which endures under the guise of statehood. Read full review

Teo Bugbee

May 20, 2022

The cinematography is often grainy, and occasionally Banua-Simon’s choice of interview subjects feels unfocused or repetitive. But there is tremendous educational and moral value in his overview of the history of Kauai. Read full review

The Film Stage Jared Mobarak

May 22, 2022

The whole possesses a pretty consistent narrative timeline, each new step building off the last with more invasive measures keeping colonialists’ descendants fat and happy. Read full review

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