The Global Search for Education: Aikāne — A Queer Hawaiian Love Story Told Through Stunning Animation

This month on Planet Classroom, audiences can screen Aikāne, created by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson. This short film, curated for Planet Classroom by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a visually stunning celebration of queer love through the lens of Hawaiian legend.

AIKĀNE: Love and Adventure Beneath the Waves, directed by Academy Award-nominated animator Daniel Sousa and created by acclaimed filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, uses hand-drawn animation and no dialogue to tell a timeless story of love and transformation. The film follows a shapeshifter who rescues a wounded warrior, forming a powerful bond that blossoms into lasting love.

Rooted in Hawaiian history, aikāne refers to intimate same-sex relationships between chiefs and their trusted companions — an often forgotten but celebrated part of Native Hawaiian culture. At a time when LGBTQ+ youth are facing increasing challenges and discrimination, Aikāne offers a mythic tale of courage, identity, and joy. A work of beauty and heart, it resonates with teens and adults alike.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome the film’s creators: Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson.

What inspired you to tell the story of Aikāne and explore same-sex love through this lens?
Love is love is love… Thatʻs a story that canʻt be told enough, especially now as love between certain people is under attack.

Did you draw from real Hawaiian history or local folktales when creating the narrative?
Aikāne is inspired by many stories of same-sex friendship and intimacy in Hawaiian history, but the narrative is purely fictional.

What led to your decision to tell the story without dialogue?
I wanted the film to be widely accessible, especially to children, for which the classical pantomime tradition in animation is especially appropriate. Also, as a first-time narrative filmmaker (after a long history of documentaries), I felt more comfortable telling the story purely through action.

What was the biggest creative or technical challenge in bringing Aikāne to life?
Funding and distribution are difficult for short films. That’s why itʻs great to have platforms like Planet Classroom.

Thank you, Daniel, Dean, and Joe!

C. M. Rubin with Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson

Don’t miss Aikāne, now streaming on the Planet Classroom Network.

This film is curated by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival for Planet Classroom.