Rock Bottom Riser (2021)

Rock Bottom Riser Poster

From the earliest voyagers who navigated by starlight to the discovery of habitable planets by astronomers, Rock Bottom Riser examines the all-encompassing encounters of an island world at sea. As lava continues to flow from the earth’s core on the island of Hawaii—posing an imminent danger—a crisis mounts. Astronomers plan to build the world’s largest telescope on Hawaii’s most sacred and revered mountain, Mauna Kea. Based on ancient Polynesian navigation, the arrival of Christian missionaries, and the observatory’s ability to capture the origins of the universe, Rock Bottom Riser surveys the influence of settler colonialism, the search for intelligent life, and the discovery of new worlds as we peer into our own planet’s existence.

Introduction
"Rock Bottom Riser" is a 2021 documentary film directed and composed by Fern Silva. This film provides an artful exploration of the history of Hawaii, its cultural identity, and its collision with modernity. The film intertwines a number of interconnected aspects from Hawaiian culture, Western science, ancient folklore, and the dispute on Mauna Kea regarding the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) job.

Contextual Background
The documentary opens by immersing the audience into the foundational misconceptions and traditions of Hawaii. Silva utilizes culturally considerable signs such as the primal divine being of rocks and landforms-- Papa Muanaloa and sky dad Wakea, along with the famous figure, Pele to weave a narrative deeply deep-rooted in Hawaiian folklore. The narrative of the documentary is broad, rotating in between clinical theories about the origins of the world and the universes to Hawaii's unique seclusion and its subsequent contact with the Western world.

Contemporary Issues
"Rock Bottom Riser" browses around the central dispute surrounding the TMT project on Mauna Kea. The highly questionable Thirty Meter Telescope project was proposed to be built on Mauna Kea, a location held sacred by the indigenous Hawaiians. This conflict advances a reflective look at the collision between 2 perspectives, namely, the pursuit of scientific discovery and the preservation of cultural heritage and sacred lands.

As the movie follows demonstrations and legal battles over the TMT project, it skillfully describes the consistent battle Hawaiians have actually faced in protecting their lands and culture versus the assault of western clinical and cost-effective interests.

Creative and Cultural Exploration
This movie is likewise an exploration of symbolism and the magical aspects of Hawaiian culture. Silva makes use of speculative filmmaking strategies, employing discovered video footage, animation, and nature shots, in sync with enigmatic sound design. Scenes are punctuated with Hawaiian music and chants, salient to build an atmosphere reverberating with Hawaiian spiritual essence.

Moreover, Silva intertwines captivating aspects from both Western science and indigenous folklore to develop a profound discussion that challenges standard limits and understandings. The film cross-references Western scientific theories and discoveries with ancient Hawaiian belief systems to portray the crossway of culture, history, and modernity.

Final Remarks and Conclusions
By the end, "Rock Bottom Riser" offers a cinematic and metaphysical exploration that is restrained and symbolic, marking an unique area in the genre of documentary filmmaking. It delves into area that is at as soon as political and mystical, clinical and legendary, requiring the audience to confront the continuous worldwide problems of native rights, land preservation, and conflicted development.

The movie shields no viewpoint as it resolves the pushing issue of cultural preservation versus scientific development profoundly, laced with a palpable respect for the land, skies, and the rhythm of Hawaii. "Rock Bottom Riser", though heavily immersed in the particular landscape of Hawaii, transcends to deal with wider styles of cultural identity, colonization, and the relentless march of modernity.

Top Cast

  • Nainoa Thompson
    master navigator
  • Moses Goods (small)
    Moses Goods
    Henry Opukahaia
  • Rubellite Johnson
    voiceover / historian
  • Avi Loeb (small)
    Avi Loeb
    astronomer
  • Kalepa Baybayon
    voiceover / master navigator
  • Dwayne Johnson (small)
    Dwayne Johnson
    himself
  • Franck Marchis
    voiceover / astronomer
  • David Maille
    voiceover / Hawaiian activist