When Blair Treu received a call from a service missionary on the North Shore of O‘ahu, he didn’t expect it to lead to to this.
“I got a call just out of the blue from Randy Rigby,” Treu recalled on a video podcast for Leading Saints as he was interview by Kurt Francom. “He and his wife were serving out at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), and they were looking to develop a documentary. I’d been there before. I’d filmed there. I knew there was something special—especially about the students.”
That phone call eventually became the feature documentary Sharing Aloha, an intimate look behind the colorful performances and stages of the Polynesian Cultural Center, a tourist attraction on the island of O‘ahu that also serves as a lifeline for hundreds of international students attending BYU–Hawai‘i. For many of them, it’s a chance to earn a degree debt-free, often against extraordinary odds.
Under the Surface
At first glance, the PCC may resemble a cultural theme park, with costumed performers reenacting traditional island dances, crafts, and rituals. But Sharing Aloha bypasses the spectacle to focus on the lived experiences of the young adults who power the place behind the scenes.
“These are valiant kids,” Treu said. “Most of them come from less-than-ideal economic circumstances. Many are returned missionaries. They don’t have the means to afford a four-year university, but they have the heart.”
The film explores this intersection of ambition, faith, and identity by following a handful of students from places like Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and even Las Vegas. The structure echoes Treu’s earlier work, Meet the Mormons, but with a tighter lens (and more personal stakes).
“What we’re showing isn’t just culture on stage,” Treu said. “It’s culture lived out in real time. These kids are working, studying, supporting families, and holding onto their beliefs.”
Slowing Down to Keep Up
Treu, a veteran of both religious and commercial filmmaking—including projects for Disney and a stint on Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—was challenged by the pacing of life in the islands. “I come from a production world where everything is on a clock,” he said. “But in the islands, island time is very real.”
Interviews were delayed. Students forgot call times. But Treu learned to adapt. “If the kids didn’t show up, I had to go knock on dorm doors. You can’t force the story—you have to let it happen.”
What emerged was a deeper understanding of how the dynamics of family and faith are layered into daily life for many Polynesian students. “If one of them hurts, they all hurt,” he said. “If one succeeds, they all succeed. It’s not just family—it’s community. And it’s real.”
A Salad Bowl (and a Melting Pot)
The PCC employs about 800 students every semester, providing jobs in everything from dance performance to groundskeeping. The film focuses on the performance side, including the high-production night show, but Treu was quick to emphasize that the center’s ecosystem includes students from all over the Pacific Rim and beyond—Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, and white mainlanders among them.
“It’s a real melting pot,” he said. “And yet, in the villages, they try to keep cultural accuracy. Samoans in the Samoa village, Fijians in the Fiji village. But everyone works together.”
Answering the Critics
Some critics have questioned whether the PCC takes advantage of student labor. Treu doesn’t dodge the topic—in fact, he went looking for answers himself.
“We did a hidden-camera sequence,” he revealed. “We went around Waikiki and the North Shore asking locals and tourists what they’d heard about the PCC. Most people hadn’t been there, but they’d heard rumors—some negative, some just misinformed.”
Treu’s conclusion? “It’s not a widely held belief, but we addressed it in the film because people are curious.” His view is firm: “These students are getting the equivalent of a Division I scholarship—tuition, books, housing, healthcare, and a little spending money. They did a study—it’s the equivalent of about $50 an hour in benefits. You’re not going to get that [in many places].”
Leadership by Faith
What stood out most during filming, Treu said, wasn’t just the students—but the leaders behind the scenes who train, mentor, and direct them. “It’s literally a miracle that they pull this off every semester,” he said, describing the constant turnover of student performers and the nightly puzzle of filling roles.
“There’s no luxury of a Broadway understudy system. These students rotate through different parts like human Tetris. It only works because the leaders—people like David Tiavi—know why they’re doing it. They lead with testimony. And they genuinely care.”
Treu compared it to being a Latter-day Saint mission president: “You’re working with young people at varying levels of maturity, and you just love them and do your best.”
A Film That Funds Education
Treu is clear about the funding. Though supported by the PCC, Sharing Aloha was made with private donations. He and his team were paid modestly, and he waived future profits. “It would’ve felt hypocritical to say all proceeds go to PCC if I didn’t donate my part,” he said. “Nobody got rich. This was a labor of love.”
And the cause is clear. Every ticket sale helps fund scholarships through BYU-Hawaii’s IWORK program. Treu hopes the film will encourage more people to visit, donate, or at least understand what’s happening on that area of Laie.
What Stays with You
As Treu reflects on the experience, one story lingers: A young woman who declined the chance to receive her scholarship publicly because it conflicted with a temple session. “That quiet integrity—that’s who these kids are,” Treu said.
He also thinks often of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, whose encouragement during Meet the Mormons left a lasting impression. “He made everyone on our crew feel like they mattered. I try to lead that way now, too—by recognizing that all our talents are on loan. They’re not really ours.”
For Treu, Sharing Aloha is less a film than a glimpse into a way of life. “It reminded me what it means to live your beliefs. These students taught me more than I taught them.”
Sharing Aloha opens in select theaters August 29. For more information or to request a screening, visit sharingalohathemovie.com.
dyejo
J Washburn
Guest Author
