New Film, Hakani, Tackles Infanticide; Premieres In Hawaii

David Cunningham premiered his latest film, Hakani, on the Big Island last night and I joined 100 or so guests to screen it. The film tackles the difficult issue of infanticide among indigenous tribes in Brazil. Cunningham's 35-minute docudrama is troubling to say the least. I knew the practice had happened off and on in China, but I had no idea it was still going on in Brazil. The film has apparently caused quite an uproar in Brazil where the government is considering passing legislation to crack down on the practice.

Handicapped children are most often targeted for killing, but as a father of twins I was especially surprised to learn that twins and triplets are also targeted for death because they are believed to bring on bad luck. Go figure.

A clip of the film can be found here