LoglineWhen a quiet 70-year-old Chilean seamstress secretly joins a hula class, her quest to find passion in the dance rekindles passion in her marriage—sending her and her grumpy husband on a hilarious late-life journey from sewing hems to swaying hips.
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Character Breakdown
GLORIA (70’s): Chilean seamstress that immigrated away from everything she knew more than forty years ago. Although her husband was able to build a successful tailor shop with the help of her skills as a seamstress, she somehow lost herself along the way.
BETO (70’s): Chilean tailor shop owner, moved with his wife to Glendale decades ago. He’s proud of the life he’s built but wonders if it was worth what was lost in the process.
The Hula Sisters (60’s-70’s): MEI LAN, GABY, and DOLORES. The Hawaiian golden girls, each coming from different cultures, each having found connection and family in hula. Boisterous, free, and flirty, they know what it takes to understand the hidden meanings of hula, and they waste no time in helping Gloria get there.
BETO (70’s): Chilean tailor shop owner, moved with his wife to Glendale decades ago. He’s proud of the life he’s built but wonders if it was worth what was lost in the process.
The Hula Sisters (60’s-70’s): MEI LAN, GABY, and DOLORES. The Hawaiian golden girls, each coming from different cultures, each having found connection and family in hula. Boisterous, free, and flirty, they know what it takes to understand the hidden meanings of hula, and they waste no time in helping Gloria get there.
Script (15 pages)
| hoonanea_short_script_15.pdf |
Pitch Deck
Ho'onanea Pitch Deck by Keri Picolla Stanbra
Synopsis
Ho'onanea. A heartfelt comedy short written and directed by Carolina Espiro
Gloria is a 70 year-old Chilean seamstress who lives with her husband Beto in the small Los Angeles apartment above their tailoring shop. Her exciting daily life consists of walking to the craft store for supplies, walking back and sitting at back of the shop hemming pants and skirts until the sun goes down. Her only company is her husband… and he prefers silence while he works on his beading. She finds a sliver of happiness in quietly listening to her favorite Chilean folk music after Beto goes to bed promptly at 8:30pm.
One day, while passing the park on her way from the craft store, she is stunned to see a vibrant Polynesian festival happening. She is mesmerized when she sees women her age on a stage gracefully dancing hula to flowing Hawaiian music, their faces glowing with joy. A girl sees Gloria and puts a flier in her bag, inviting her to join the senior class at her hula school.
Gloria joins the school, sneaking away to classes after Beto goes to sleep. Her experience in dancing Chilean folk in her youth helps her learn quickly. She makes friends with her hula sisters and she becomes a different person. Lively and full of laughter. However, when she learns that performing at the annual show is a requirement, her stage fright sets in. What's worse, an important aspect of dancing hula are the facial expressions that tell the passionate story of the song. Gloria having not experienced passion in decades, can only manage awkward smiles.
The women go for drinks and get pretty tipsy at a local tiki bar. They tease Gloria about her trouble with connecting to the hula and learn that she hadn't had intimacy with her husband in almost 30 years. Shocked, the ladies encourage her to find a way to bring spice back into her life...for the sake of the hula!
Emboldened by their words (and three very strong ChiChis) Gloria buys a black garter and corset from a nearby lingerie store. Next day, when Beto gets back from doing the morning shopping, she is waiting for him, dressed in sexy (yet tasteful) lingerie and his bags just fall to the floor.
Beto wakes up and Gloria’s gone. He finds the hula flier and goes to the address of the school. There he sees her, laughing with her hula sisters, and realizes she's been having a whole life without him.
Next day, Gloria is already awake before Beto and waits for him with a show flier. She steels herself to tell him everything and invite him to the show. When he finally comes downstairs she chickens out and runs off to do the shopping. However, she accidentally leaves behind the show flier, and he finds it.
On show day at Glendale Auditorium, Gloria is nowhere to be found and the hula sisters are panicking. Suffering from a small anxiety attack, Gloria has snuck out the side exit and is trying to control her breathing. Beto passes by carrying a bouquet, sees Gloria down the alley and rushes to her. She is shocked to realizes that he knows everything. She starts to panic again about performing and Beto takes her inside.
Beto looks around and finds an empty supply closet, he gives her a suggestive look. 20 minutes later they emerge from the closet, smiling and a little disheveled. He pulls a flower from the bouquet and puts it in her hair before sending her on her way to find her awaiting hula sisters.
As Beto takes his seat, the announcer talks about the song they are dancing to called “Ho'onanea." It is about experiencing an evening of passion and the sweet repose afterwards. She shares how the composer recorded two versions of the song. One in her youth and the second 30 years later. She comments on how the second version is rich in the maturity of a deeper love that stems from a life time of experience.
Beto finds his seat and pulls out his phone to record. As the credits roll we see an actual live recording of the actress who plays Gloria dancing Ho'onanea in a hula show, her face alight with joy, her smile glowing with passion and aloha.
This story is inspired by my Chilean mother who found hula at age 65.
Gloria is a 70 year-old Chilean seamstress who lives with her husband Beto in the small Los Angeles apartment above their tailoring shop. Her exciting daily life consists of walking to the craft store for supplies, walking back and sitting at back of the shop hemming pants and skirts until the sun goes down. Her only company is her husband… and he prefers silence while he works on his beading. She finds a sliver of happiness in quietly listening to her favorite Chilean folk music after Beto goes to bed promptly at 8:30pm.
One day, while passing the park on her way from the craft store, she is stunned to see a vibrant Polynesian festival happening. She is mesmerized when she sees women her age on a stage gracefully dancing hula to flowing Hawaiian music, their faces glowing with joy. A girl sees Gloria and puts a flier in her bag, inviting her to join the senior class at her hula school.
Gloria joins the school, sneaking away to classes after Beto goes to sleep. Her experience in dancing Chilean folk in her youth helps her learn quickly. She makes friends with her hula sisters and she becomes a different person. Lively and full of laughter. However, when she learns that performing at the annual show is a requirement, her stage fright sets in. What's worse, an important aspect of dancing hula are the facial expressions that tell the passionate story of the song. Gloria having not experienced passion in decades, can only manage awkward smiles.
The women go for drinks and get pretty tipsy at a local tiki bar. They tease Gloria about her trouble with connecting to the hula and learn that she hadn't had intimacy with her husband in almost 30 years. Shocked, the ladies encourage her to find a way to bring spice back into her life...for the sake of the hula!
Emboldened by their words (and three very strong ChiChis) Gloria buys a black garter and corset from a nearby lingerie store. Next day, when Beto gets back from doing the morning shopping, she is waiting for him, dressed in sexy (yet tasteful) lingerie and his bags just fall to the floor.
Beto wakes up and Gloria’s gone. He finds the hula flier and goes to the address of the school. There he sees her, laughing with her hula sisters, and realizes she's been having a whole life without him.
Next day, Gloria is already awake before Beto and waits for him with a show flier. She steels herself to tell him everything and invite him to the show. When he finally comes downstairs she chickens out and runs off to do the shopping. However, she accidentally leaves behind the show flier, and he finds it.
On show day at Glendale Auditorium, Gloria is nowhere to be found and the hula sisters are panicking. Suffering from a small anxiety attack, Gloria has snuck out the side exit and is trying to control her breathing. Beto passes by carrying a bouquet, sees Gloria down the alley and rushes to her. She is shocked to realizes that he knows everything. She starts to panic again about performing and Beto takes her inside.
Beto looks around and finds an empty supply closet, he gives her a suggestive look. 20 minutes later they emerge from the closet, smiling and a little disheveled. He pulls a flower from the bouquet and puts it in her hair before sending her on her way to find her awaiting hula sisters.
As Beto takes his seat, the announcer talks about the song they are dancing to called “Ho'onanea." It is about experiencing an evening of passion and the sweet repose afterwards. She shares how the composer recorded two versions of the song. One in her youth and the second 30 years later. She comments on how the second version is rich in the maturity of a deeper love that stems from a life time of experience.
Beto finds his seat and pulls out his phone to record. As the credits roll we see an actual live recording of the actress who plays Gloria dancing Ho'onanea in a hula show, her face alight with joy, her smile glowing with passion and aloha.
This story is inspired by my Chilean mother who found hula at age 65.
Director's Statement
Coming to LA from Chile at age two gave me a slightly different immigrant experience than most. Chileans, for the most part, don’t form enclaves- you’ll never find a “Little Chile” anywhere. I grew up in diverse communities, adopting American customs, learning new cultures while keeping some Chilean traditions. A rich childhood to be sure, just a lonely one.
As an only child, I developed an extraordinary imagination and a penchant for finding connection and community with every living and non-living thing. Don’t believe me? Ask my imaginary friends. This is reflected in my story-telling where everyday characters find kindred spirits in the most motley of crews.
Eleven years ago, my mother and I discovered Hawaiian Hula and it filled a void that she had missed since youth and that I had missed entirely: a big family of children, aunties, uncles and elders. Hawaiian and Chilean cultures are so similar in their passion for family, food, respect for elders, and how the community raises their young. They even share humor as a coping mechanism. And, the never-ending love of dance.
Mom was just mom, until we joined Hālau (hula school.) Then she became a sister and a friend. Hula helped us find our family again. It brought us back to ourselves and to each other.
“Ho’onanea” honors cultural orphans everywhere and the communities that hānai (adopt) them.
As an only child, I developed an extraordinary imagination and a penchant for finding connection and community with every living and non-living thing. Don’t believe me? Ask my imaginary friends. This is reflected in my story-telling where everyday characters find kindred spirits in the most motley of crews.
Eleven years ago, my mother and I discovered Hawaiian Hula and it filled a void that she had missed since youth and that I had missed entirely: a big family of children, aunties, uncles and elders. Hawaiian and Chilean cultures are so similar in their passion for family, food, respect for elders, and how the community raises their young. They even share humor as a coping mechanism. And, the never-ending love of dance.
Mom was just mom, until we joined Hālau (hula school.) Then she became a sister and a friend. Hula helped us find our family again. It brought us back to ourselves and to each other.
“Ho’onanea” honors cultural orphans everywhere and the communities that hānai (adopt) them.
Elena Espiro (Gloria) performing with her sisters in recorded performance of Ho'onanea.
Carolina and Elena and their lives as hula dancers.
Carolina's Ho'opa'a graduation ceremony.
About Hula Hālau Nā Mamo O Pana'ewa
Located in sunny Southern California (Glendale), and established in 2010, award winning hula school Hālau Nā Mamo O Pana’ewa (The Cherished Offspring of Pana’ewa) and Kumu Hula (Teacher of Hula) Keoki Wang continues the traditions and legacies of his award-winning teachers including Kumu Hula Sonny Ching, Kumu Hula Noelani McIntosh and Kumu Hula Kunewa Mook through dance, songs and traditional Hawaiian chants. They have performed with many award winning (Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards®) Hawaiian talents including Aaron Sala, Keauhou, Kehaulani Tamure (Na Palapalai), Kekoa Kane (Huewa), Kuana Torres Kahele (Na Palapalai), Kupu Dalire (Huewa), Mailani Makainai, Mark Yamanaka, Shawn Pimental and many more. More information can be found at www.hhnmop.com
