After allegations that Cameron Crowe’s latest film Aloha presents an unfair racial representation of Hawaii, Sony has released an official statement in response.
“While some have been quick to judge a movie they haven’t seen and a script they haven’t read, the film Aloha respectfully showcases the spirit and culture of the Hawaiian people,” the statement read. “Film-maker Cameron Crowe spent years researching this project and many months on location in Hawaii, cultivating relationships with leading local voices. He earned the trust of many Hawaiian community leaders, including Dennis ‘Bumpy’ Kanahele, who plays a key role in the film.”
The romantic comedy, starring Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone, is released this week in America and has angered the Media Action Network for Asian Americans who claim it is “an insult” for going out of its way to “exclude the very people who live” in Hawaii.
The decision to call the film Aloha has also upset some locals, including native activist Walter Ritte. “If you have a romantic comedy about the military in Hawaii … but a title that says Aloha, I can only guess that they’ll bastardise the word,” he told AP. “They’re taking our sacred word … and they’re going to make a lot of money off of it.”
Aloha has suffered a troubled route to the big screen with rumoured reshoots, heavy editing and a release date change. Just two days away from release, there were still no reviews available.
