Maui Ocean Center to Present ‘The Life of Pinky Thompson’

“Visions in the Dark: The Life of Pinky Thompson celebrates the life of the late Myron Pinky Thompson, a WWII veteran, community leader and beloved Hawaiian visionary. Photo courtesy Maui Film Fesival.

By Maui Now Staff

Maui Ocean Center will present the feature-length film Visions in the Dark: The Life of Pinky Thompson at the 2015 Maui Film Festival at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s Castle Theater on Sunday, June 7, at 3 p.m.

Admission is free for keiki under the age of 12 and $13 for adults.

Film Synopsis

“Visions in the Dark: The Life of Pinky Thompson celebrates the life of the late Myron Pinky Thompson, a WWII veteran, community leader and beloved Hawaiian visionary. Living a life devoted to the advancement of Native Hawaiians, Pinky created positive social changes in health care and education, and began the preservation of Polynesian voyaging knowledge.

“As a leader of Native Hawaiians, Pinky served in key organizations including Alu Like, Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center, Papa Ola Lokahi, and Kamehameha Schools. He also played a key role in the creation of the Kamehameha Schools Ka‘iwakiloumoku Hawaiian Cultural Center. The accumulation of Pinky’s work helped secure millions of dollars of federal funds for Hawaiian health care and education systems.

“Pinky’s values helped drive the success of Hokule‘a, an accurate replica of a double-hull Polynesian voyaging canoe. Serving as the president of Polynesian Voyaging Society for nearly two decades, Pinky’s beliefs in perpetuating ancestral ocean migration and navigational techniques has strengthened the modern-day Hawaiian identity. His legacy lives on through his son, Nainoa Thompson, who is now the president of PVS, chief navigator of Hokule‘a, and leader of the three-year Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

“From the battlefields of Europe to the steps of Congress, Pinky fought for the empowerment of Native Hawaiians, and to instill an enduring pride of Hawaiian innovation, intelligence and heritage.”

For more information about the film, go online.

For more information about Maui Ocean Center, go online.

For a complete schedule of Maui Film Festival screenings and events, go to this Maui Now article: Maui Film Festival Releases Lineup.