DOCUMENTARIES
Lumos Media documentaries
Yatra (2023)
Pā‘ū (2024)
Ulu: Growth for Everyone (2025)
Minding Jane (2024)
A Stronger Loving World (2025)
Director’s previous work
Yatra
An immersive exploration of the sacred journey within us all
Watch trailer here
An ancient Sri Lankan tradition, the padayatra (foot journey) is a sacred event venerated each year by thousands who walk for more than forty days to the fabulous temple at Kataragama. In a country ravaged by years of civil war and simmering religious tensions, this annual event embodies the extremes of nature as well as the dichotomies of the human condition. The yatra is an ancient journey of persistence, of karma, and of awakening.
Filmed over the course of four years, Yatra is a deeply immersive documentary experience that captures the essence of this ancient tradition, with stories told by the pilgrims themselves as they journey toward a spiritual awakening to find the nature of their true selves.
Pā‘ū
A ride into history
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Among the facets of the Hawaiian renaissance being chronicled and nurtured by a diverse cadre of caretakers, filmmakers, and community activists—including ‘ōlelo, hula, mele, mālama hāloa / lo‘i kalo, loko iʻa, kakau, and others—one practice has remained largely absent from widespread recognition for its deep and abiding role in Hawaiian culture: the custom of pā‘ū riding by the wahine holo lio.
This film, Pā‘ū, follows a multigenerational horse-riding unit as it embarks on a year-long preparation to represent the island of Ni‘ihau during the 100th anniversary of the King Kamehameha floral parade celebration.
Their effort, set against the backdrop of this important milestone, is interwoven with historical wisdom and recollections from previous pā‘ū riders and paniolo, all of whom guide this cultural practice into its next century.
This film is produced in collaboration with Pacific Islanders in Communications.
ULU: Growth for everyone
The last film of the Ola trilogy
Watch trailer here
Where you live affects your ability to do well in school, pursue a career, and lead a thriving, healthy life. The challenge of integrating land use, affordable housing, and commercial development policies in Hawai‘i has created both the highest rate of homelessness and cost of living in the nation.
The persistent conflict between impoverished communities, environmentalists, and economic development points to an unsustainable future where growth - in education, income, housing, and health - is simply out of reach for most island residents.
In the final installment of his trilogy about social determinants in Hawai‘i (following Ola: Health is Everything and ‘Ike: Knowledge is Everywhere), the director once again delves into the interconnected causes of our greatest social issues while demonstrating the power of individuals to work for justice.
This film is produced in collaboration with the Hawai‘i State Department of Health.
MINDING JANE
The burdens and blessings of caregiving
As the demographics of our society shift, with lifespans increasing and birthrates declining, the needs of our aging and elderly population threaten to become unsustainable. The potential burdens and impossible choices families will need to face are but a small part of the impending crisis of care for our kūpuna.
Minding Jane is a most personal documentary project, in which the director chronicles the physical, mental, and emotional toll—along with the quiet and loving joys—that make up the complex journey of caregiving. His companion book, Come to the Garden, will be released alongside the film.
A Stronger Loving World
The tragic, triumphant life of Muthukumaru Sooriyakumar
During a period of racial and ethnic strife in his home country of Ceylon, Sooriyakumar’s father was assassinated in the small farmland village of Mannar. That bloody, violent baptism set him off on a 50-year trek across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific where he cultivated a deep desire to turn the tragedy of his life into a higher purpose.
In this sometimes searing portrait of Sooriya’s life, we witness the transformation of pain and regret into a manifesto for healing a broken world that’s still riven by the kinds of conflicts that set him on his life’s path. Through the life story of its central character, this feature-length documentary illuminates and reinforces the central truth of our interconnectedness to each other and the planet we share.