Rock Bottom Riser

Hawaii has been a significant site for exploration since the earliest travelers used the night sky as their GPS, and it remains so for astronomers searching space for signs of life. Even as lava still flows there, scientists scheme to construct the world’s largest telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s most sacred mountain.

After a string of acclaimed shorts, Silva’s full-length debut—screening in a rare 35mm print with a powerful surround-sound mix—analyzes various cultural representations of the island, including numerous meanings and uses of the word “rock.” With vigor and sardonic humor, he examines topics that span the arrival of Christian missionaries to the controversial casting of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as King Kamehameha. Interweaving geology, ethnography, astronomy, and yes, vaping, Rock Bottom Riser documents the tensions between tourism, science, and Native sovereignty that shape Hawaii’s image in pop culture. Stay for a Q&A with the director after the screening! (70 mins., 35mm)