Burning of the Gods

With his island at risk from industrial tourism and environmental degradation, a boy travels back in time to reconnect with his ancestors.

Directed by Karin Williams
Produced by Karin Williams and Sharlene George

Director’s Bio: Karin is a descendant of British settlers in Aotearoa/New Zealand and ancestors from the South Pacific Island of Aitutaki. She founded Multinesia Productions to support global indigenous storytelling and has worked with first nations communities across North America and the Pacific. Her films have screened at festivals around the world. Karin served as Development Executive at the New Zealand Film Commission (2015-18) and serves on the Executive Board of SPADA, the New Zealand producers’ guild. She is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the screen industry.

Plays in

Beliefs, Choices: Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Shorts

“[My] film’s structure adopts Polynesian perceptions of non-linear time, where past, present, and future intertwine. The past coexists with our present and future.” –Karin Williams This quote could frame this year’s Pacific Shorts Showcase. These award-winning shorts from filmmakers throughout the Pacific involve journeys across time, space, culture, and religion. From a docu-art piece about a young man who travels from luxury resorts to a time when his tīpuna first settled to animated queer mythic love story inspired by the Hawaiian concept of aikāne, these stories trace the interconnections between self and community and the power of belief.