While stocking on the latest fashion mags recently, our eyes caught sight of Mr. Alexander Skårsgard (it’s pronounced skarsh-gard)on the cover of V Man, the edgy quarterly published by the same team behind the ultra-luxe fashion publication Visionaire. The Summer 2010 edition of V Man features Mr. Skarsgård and the other Nordic artists, musicians, and actors who are making quite an impression on the fashionista set. The V Man appearance coincides with his special appearance on the cover of the more mainstream Details. Though Mr. Skarsgård has appeared in Swedish films since his youth and a variety of English-language productions, his career skyrocketed since he made his appearance on HBO’s True Blood as Eric, a thousand year-old Viking turned vampire.

MORE ON ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD

You can see the return of Eric when season 3 of True Blood begins June 13. In the meantime, visit Skarsgårdnews.com for the latest on the Swedish star after checking out this minisode of Eric with his vamp cohort Pam, played by Ms. Kristin Bauer. Caveat: those with timid tastes that don’t watch cable may not want to watch.

Tags: Alexander Skarsgård, Details, HBO, True Blood, V Man

Danish group Selvmord’s hot track “OK” has quickly become one of our favorite track of Summer 2010. From what we’ve seen online, Selvmord is marketed in Europe as a rap group. But their sound has a bit too much of a teutonic slickness to file them neatly away somewhere between Tupac and Ludacris. If anything, Selvmord’s aesthetic, built upon its phat beats tastefully dusted with rough and dirty electronics, reminds us of Brit band Massive Attack - a kind of Nordic cousin to Massive Attack’s Mezzanine from the late nineties.  Selvmord’s music is the kind of thing you’d want to brood fashionably to in a loft while sipping gin and wearing vintage Helmut Lang… well, before the economic. (Actually, perhaps afterwards.)

THE MEANING

We realize, of course, that some people have a hard time listening to music in a language they don’t understand. Consider, for instance, how many people listen to American music around the world without knowing much English.

But we’re not ones to leave people lost in translation. The video does a good job at conveying the jist behind “OK.” A young Nordic vixen with smoky eyes reminiscent of Helena Christensen and guys with tats and a pissed off attitude, who, despite all their big words and macho posturing, still get paint thrown right in their face.

When we put the lyrics for “OK” through Google Translate, we were faced with a stormy tale of love, jealousy, sex, and betrayal, covered by silence but immediately revealed by a simple look in the eyes–all understandably laced with a dash of tasteful profanity.

THE VIDEO

MORE ON SELVMORD

• Check out the band’s YouTube page by Copenhagen Records right here.
• “OK” and Selvmord’s self-titled album is now available on iTunes.

Tags: Denmark, OK, rap, Selvmord

Above: Ke Kamāliʻi Wahine Victoria Kaʻiulani | Below: Q'orianka Kilcher in Marc Forby's Princess Kaiulani

When British director’s Marc Forby’s period piece (loosely) based on the life of Ke Kamāliʻi Wahine Victoria Kawēkiu Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kaʻiulani made its debut at the Honolulu International Film Festival last fall, much of the public controversy swirled around the name then chosen for the film, Barbarian Princess.

When questioned publically about name, Forby said, as quoted by the Honolulu Advertiser, “The title was meant to bring in, and then challenge audiences from, say, middle America who might be expecting something like sexy dances at a luau … We wanted to draw attention to how Hawaiians were treated in the 1800s; this has never been about exploiting the Hawaiian people. I never knew it would get so heated. I thought the irony would be obvious.”

I thought Forby’s argument was a flimsy one. Moreover, it quickly summed up his actual stance. While not apparently not wanting to fall into a trap of tourist expectations, Forby indicated that his film was for a certain kind of market, one that needs everything needs spelled out for it and unable to handle a Hawaiian name in the title. At the same time, it seems that, for Forby, a Hawaiian name like Kaʻiulani–perhaps, any Hawaiian word at all–could only conjure exoticism, ignoring the number of films that retain their native language titles.

What if we were to apply his argument to prominent, valued historical figures from other country’s without their input? Whatever their personal opinion of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, I doubt most Americans would appreciate a film titled The Adultrous President. Possible criticism for content aside, Oliver Stone went with JFK and W. for his presidential flicks. I doubt Forby’s fellow Brits would have tolerated a sensationalized name for any film about any of their royals.  Consider instead the titles for films about important figures. Across the “pond”, Stephen Frear chose the simple The Queen for his 2006 film about Queen Elizabeth II.

Since the Hawaiʻi 2009 debut, Forby and his team have reconsidered their marketing strategy and dropped the barbarian idea. As of May 2010, viewers across the United States can now head out and watch Princess Kaiulani (note: no ʻokina) instead. While I was relieved of the name change, I still couldn’t help but cringe when I saw the melodramatic trailer.

Since the film’s debut last week, I have been entertained to see what American critics think of the film and how Forby’s film comes across to those unfamiliar with Hawaiʻi.

The Los Angeles Times’ Gary Goldstein said the film made for “starchy entertainment”. Goldstein goes on to describe actress Q’orianka Kilcher’s portrayal of Kaʻiulani as bloodless. Unsurprisingly, the film only earned two stars.

Mike Hale of the New York Times went further in criticizing the film. He describes it as “an odd hybrid” and “deeply silly and stagebound”. He says, “At times it’s the sort of ridiculously anachronistic period film in which historical characters act like 21st-century teenagers who happen to be wearing hoop skirts.”

Reading his reviews, it’s clear that Mr. Hale read up at least a little on Hawaiian history, enough to catch Forby’s errors. Hale states that Forby

“fudges in ways small (an early scene shows Ka’iulani playing a significant role in a palace function she did not attend) and large (the circumstances of her departure for England are much more dramatic and historically relevant in the film than they were in real life). By the time Ka’iulani, having returned home as a figurehead crown princess, French kisses Clive in full view of her retinue, all you can do is shake your head.”

And while his nomenclature is off (Hale calls an ʻokina an apostrophe), even the New York City journalist can catch the film’s spelling error:

A final note: the film’s title drops the apostrophe in Ka’iulani — so that strictly speaking, “Princess Kaiulani” seems to refer to the Waikiki hotel rather than to the princess herself. It didn’t matter at a screening this week, however, as the print shown to critics still carried the film’s original and less felicitous title: “Barbarian Princess.”

That said, Mr. Hale’s review is not without its own inaccuracies or flaws. I strongly disagree, for instance, with his one-liner that the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom is “a complex and sometimes squalid story with less-than-admirable behavior on all sides” is highly debatable. But I won’t make the mistake of thinking of him as a historian or a scholar. I quote him here a film critic four thousand miles away from Hawaiʻi, who, with a little research and working under a pressing deadline, could detect the film’s flaws.

Interestingly enough, I found that one local newspaper’s review didn’t find any of these weaknesses, offering a mostly sunny, encouraging words about Princess Kaiulani. This, of course, came as no surprise, as quite often, more local newspaper critics write more like PR reps than actual critics. At least, the review from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin read more like a review, though I disagree with the critic’s opinion that films can play with history because we watch movies just for entertainment… and not, say, to learn about the human experience or be inspired.

That said, I have not brought myself around to watching Princess Kaiulani yet. Kircher’s stilted pronunciation of Hawaiʻi was discouraging enough. After all, what kind of princess can’t even say the name of her own kingdom right?

All the strife around Princess Kaiulani film underscores the need to support kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) filmmakers so an authentic perspective of Hawaiian culture can find its rightful place on the silver screen. In the meantime, I would rather spend my money to watch one of the screening’s at the Honolulu Academy of Arts’ ʻŌiwi Film Festival and wait to see Forby’s film on Netflix.

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

I think the trailer for Princess Kaiulani says enough about the film.

Tags: Princess Kaiulani (film), Princess Kaʻiulani, Q'orianka Kilcher

“Onaona ke ‘ala o ka maile i ka līhau ‘ia e ka ua noe”
Fragrant is the scent the maile, kept fresh and moist by the misty rain.

“Ku‘u pua ponimō‘ī”

One of our absolute favorite fragrances is maile, the twisting, native vine so familiar at local weddings and graduations. But maile is much more than just a lei to be given at special occasions.

Its delicate fragrance is imbued with the divine. In Hawaiian mythology, the Maile (nā Maile) are four sister goddesses whose kinolau (body form) are the four different kinds of maile. Where ever the sisters had ventured, the maile vine was surely to be found.

Maile is also sacred to Laka, the goddess of hula. Consequently, maile was draped on the hula altar, or kuahu. Dancers, or ‘ōlapa, would traditionally wear maile for skill and inspiration.

Unfortunately, maile is nowadays far more difficult to be found. Its rarity and cost has made its beloved scent a thing for special occasions.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy ke ‘ala o ka maile, the fragrance of maile, everyday. Kaua‘i-based company Mālie Organics has captured the essence of the maile in a range of beauty products it has called Koke‘e, named after Kōke‘e State Park on Kaua‘i. Mālie’s Koke‘e line includes a soy candle, body cream, and body wash. But our favorite is the organic mist. Just one spritz, and the scent of maile gently hangs in the air—making it perfect for a room or bed linens. It just makes us think a hike in the uplands or one of our childhood vists to a lei stand.

Even better, Mālie Organics products are natural with no chemicals or additives. Mālie’s founders, Dana and Shaun Roberts, extract their fragrance from local, sustainably grown plants in a hydrosol distillation process that captures their essence. Plus, every time you purchase a product from the Koke ‘e line, Mālie makes a donation to the Kōke‘e Resource Conservation Program.

Where to buy

Mālie Organic’s Kōke‘e Organic Mist  and line is available for $40 on the company’s online store. For a list of retailers carrying Mālie Organics products, click here.

Learn more about maile

‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i speakers can read more about the Maile sisters in S. N. Hale‘ole’s Ke Ka’ao o Lā‘ieikawai, available here on Ulukau.org.

Credits

Photos used above are used in accordance with the Creative Commons License. For photo information, click here for maile image and here for picture of Kōke‘e State Park on Kaua‘i.

Tags: Hawaiian Mythology, Kaua`i, Koke'e, Kōke‘e State Park, maile, Mālie Organics

I was reminded how much I love Montréal by the new video “Yellowbrite Smile” from Israeli-South African singer Yoav. It’s a journey through the city’s streets and network of underground tunnels… but backwards, with what seems to be stop-start photography, slightly dizzying visual effects, and a jaunt through the California desert. The track is off Yoav’s second studio release, entitled A Foolproof Escape Plan.

MORE ON YOAV

Yoav’s first studio release Charmed and Strange was released in 2008, gaining recognition in Russia (a #1 single), continental Europe, and Canada. Despite his electronic-like sound, Yoav makes most of his music off  his Lowden acoustic guitar. The lean and mean “Club Thing” shows all the things one can with just one guitar and a little equipment.

YOAV ONLINE

Follow Yoav as he promotes A Foolproof Escape Plan on his official website, www.yoavmusic.com. The album is already out in Canada, and a worldwide release is just around the corner. (Sorry, it’s only an import in the States for now.)

Tags: Montréal, Québec, Yellowbrite Smile, Yoav