Initially, the Gaia Symphony screening was planned as a one-day event on October 27, 2007. However, tickets for the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art sold out within a month. In response to the overwhelming demand, we quickly arranged an additional screening at the University of Hawaii’s Spalding Hall, extending the event to two days.
The reception held at Halekulani on October 26 was also a great success, and the proceeds from the event, totaling $4,200, were donated to the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
There had been previous attempts to bring Gaia Symphony to Hawaii, but they never came to fruition. This time however, the dedicated efforts of the Honolulu Foundation, the Gaia Symphony Screening Committee volunteers, and many supporters made it possible. Their fundraising activities, including the reception dinner, silent auction, publicity efforts, and grassroots ticket sales, all contributed to the event’s success. As a result, the first-ever Gaia Symphony screening in Hawaii, with director Jin Tatsumura in attendance, became a reality.
A remarkable moment occurred during the Halekulani reception. As director Tatsumura and Nainoa Thompson held a talk session, an incredible coincidence took place—the Hōkūle‘a canoe was seen sailing off the coast of Waikīkī at that very moment. It was as if the film’s message had come to life before our eyes.
The film Gaia Symphony No. 3, which had its Hawaii premiere at this event, featured three extraordinary individuals: wildlife photographer Michio Hoshino, who tragically lost his life in Kamchatka after being attacked by a bear, Freeman Dyson, a theoretical physicist at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University; and Nainoa Thompson, the navigator of the Hawaiian traditional voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a, who successfully led a journey to Japan. Each of them shared profound insights gained from their deep connections with nature, conveying the “spirit of the Earth.”
The film also depicted the mysterious ties between Alaska, Hawaii, and Japan—connections that have spanned centuries across the Pacific. Through breathtaking oceanic imagery, traditional music, and epic storytelling, Gaia Symphony No. 3 evoked memories of Earth’s ancient past, stretching back 5,000 years, and invited viewers to contemplate the mysteries of life beyond time and space.
Another extraordinary event took place during the additional screening on October 28 at the University of Hawai‘i. Since the original screening had sold out, this extra day was added at the last minute. Nainoa Thompson attended the event, but what made it truly special was an unexpected guest.