Aikāne

Synopsis:

A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. When the octopus who rescued him transforms into a handsome young man, they fall in love and an epic adventure begins.

Quick Thoughts:

Aikāne is the Hawaiian term of respect for intimate friends of the same sex. It’s that cultural concept that directors Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson chose to depict when searching for an idea for their next short film. “As love like ours once again becomes love which dare not speak its name, we believe that telling a queer love story with a happy ending is an urgent and beautiful form of resistance.”

And it certainly is beautiful! This animated film evokes so many emotions through stunning animation and audio cues – all without any dialogue! Part myth, part folklore, the essence of the story is one that we all can related to: finding that perfect match who compliments us in all ways. For some of us, that simply happens to be someone of the same sex. If you haven’t seen this queer short film yet, then I strongly encourage you to go watch it!