Christen Marquez (Native Hawaiian)

Christen Marquez is a young filmmaker working to dispel "exotic other" myths that surround indigenous peoples. Support for Christen's work was used for the completion of her first full length feature film.  E Haku Inoa: To Weave a Name is an hour-long documentary which will be viewed at film festivals internationally and broadcast on public television stations in the United States. The film follows a young multi-racial Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) woman who sets out to discover the meaning of her lengthy, 63 letter, Hawaiian name from her estranged schizophrenic Mother. She discovers not only herself within the name, but gains a whole new perspective on the idea of sanity and how cultural differences can muddle it's definition. The film is rooted in tradition both visually and culturally, but it is also infused with contemporary urban influences. Christen says, "Through this fusion of cultures, I intend to carry the message of non-indigenous and indigenous communities alike, that we refuse to be fossilized." The first broadcast on PBS Hawaii will take place in late 2012 and promises to reach over 8,000 viewers. Christen was invited to present a short version from the content for the film by the  White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

Christen began her career in filmmaking when her first short video was selected for screening at the Sundance Film Festival’s Gen-Y studio. She went on to complete her BFA in Film and TV production at NYU Tisch. While in school she supported herself as a freelance camera operator and assistant on projects which aired on MTV, BET, and NBC and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Through this experience she began her own production company (Paradocs Productions) where she directs, produces, shoots, and edits short documentaries and news stories.