A Filmmaker’s Journey from Lāna‘i to New York
by Sharmaine Mae Elan
Lucie Reese
“Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse wouldn’t quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out.” Lucie Reese, one of Lāna‘i High & Elementary School’s (LHES) Class of 2024 valedictorians, opened her speech with this story.
Sitting on the gymnasium floor, my video camera equipment towering over me, I documented this special moment for the graduating seniors. I thought about how Lucie, once a fellow classmate of 2025, was now up on the podium delivering her valedictorian speech. Time really flies.
In 2019, when we were in 7th grade, I heard news about a new girl joining our class. Lucie was moving from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city with over 550,000 people, to our small island of just over 3,000 people. Many of us were wary, having seen other new students eventually leave or switch to homeschooling.
The week Lucie arrived, whispers filled my classes: “Did you hear? There’s a new student.” “She’s in my homeroom.” “She’s probably gonna leave like the others.” My friends and I came up with the most middle school-esque prank: to pretend to be from Britain and speak in British accents when introducing ourselves to her. It was a silly idea, but one I will never forget.
Family Background and the Move to Lāna‘i
Lucie is the daughter of Caroline Joseph Reese and Curtis Reese, and a sibling to younger sister Graziella and older brother Giuseppe. In her speech, Lucie mentioned that moving to Lāna‘i was a crucial part of her journey. At the age of 12, Lucie faced the challenge of relocating from a bustling city in Wisconsin to a quiet island with a small population. The drastic change was difficult, especially because she had to leave behind her passion for ballet and competitive dance, which had been a significant part of her life since she was six years old. Dance was her place of comfort and expression, where she spent nearly 14 hours a week.
“Dancing was practically my whole life. Right after school, I’d go home, have a snack, and then be at dance anywhere between 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or even 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, sometimes even weekends, too, for independent rehearsals. It’s something that made me feel present in the moment. It was a big part of my life until I moved.”
Moving to Lāna‘i meant losing the opportunity to participate in competitive dance, which left her feeling lost and without a way to express herself artistically. “The transition was very big. Moving across the country to a place where you just don't know a lot about was personally hard,” she said. “So, that was very hard. I couldn’t find my present moment because dancing helped me stay in the moment.”
However, this challenge led Lucie to discover new ways of storytelling. Inspired by her mother, who acted in her 20s in New York, Lucie developed a passion for filmmaking. This new creative outlet allowed her to continue expressing herself. “And then I found my love for storytelling and filmmaking. And then that’s another way to keep me in the present. But what’s really interesting is that when you’re dancing, you’re telling a story. And now, it’s almost as if I’m storytelling but in a different way. I was telling them through dance, but now I’m telling them through film.”
Achieving Early Graduation
Entering her freshman year, Lucie knew she wanted a career in the film and entertainment industry, which fueled her ambition to graduate a year earlier than planned. This achievement was done with the help of the Dual Credit program at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College (UHMC) funded by Pūlama Lāna‘i. The program allows students to take college classes at UHMC, earning both college and high school credits. With these additional credits, Lucie was able to meet her goal of early graduation. She expressed her gratitude for this opportunity, saying, “Dual enrollment is the main reason that I am graduating early. It’s such an amazing opportunity for students here. And I’m very happy that I took advantage of that opportunity. It’s such an amazing thing that we have offered here. Last year, we had three students that already did two years of college and their four years of high school.”
Passion for Filmmaking
Throughout her time on Lāna‘i, Lucie explored her passion for filmmaking and created Lucia Cinema to showcase her films and collaborate with other filmmakers. Many of her films have been featured in various film festivals, including the Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF) Student Showcase and ‘Ōpio Fest. Her film, “Or I Te Mua,” won second place in the Future Filmmakers Showcase. Additionally, her work has been featured in the Free Spirit Film Festival in Hilo, the Youth Social Justice Film Festival, and the Student Los Angeles Film Awards, where her film “The Artist’s Subject” was a semifinalist. The most recent film Lucie produced, “Dear Kalā‘īnani,” for the Hawai‘i Filmmakers Collective 48-Hour Film Challenge, received overall third place and won Best Screenplay.
The Lāna’i Film Festival
Back in March, Hale Keaka Lāna‘i Theater hosted the island’s first Lāna‘i Film Festival on March 25th. Lucie created the Lāna‘i Film Festival as a STEM Capstone project in Mrs. Fujie-Kaauamo’s class. The goal of this project was to encourage local high school students to explore filmmaking and the arts. “I really wanted to get students to branch out, get creative, make a film and see if they'd be interested in entertainment and performing arts if we had a film festival,” Lucie explained.
Organizing the festival required significant effort and collaboration with LHES and various local organizations and individuals. The films featured a variety of genres, including comedy, personal expression, and documentary, as well as algebra music videos from Mrs. Fujie-Kaauamo’s class. The festival successfully brought together young filmmakers and the community to celebrate Lāna‘i’s local creatives. “All the films showcased were made by high schoolers from LHES. It was a community effort to watch everyone’s creations. I’m so grateful it happened with the support of Pūlama; Aunty Crimson, who works at the theater; and the entire theater staff. I previously worked there at the beginning of the year, and I loved working with those people. I’m just so happy I got to collaborate with the theater and everyone involved.”
What Lucie Anticipates Next
As she begins to close out an important chapter of her life, Lucie is now ready to begin the next one as she heads out to college. In pursuit of her passion for filmmaking, she will be attending Pace University in New York City, majoring in arts and entertainment management at the Lubin School of Business. Not only that, but Lucie has also been accepted into Pace’s Pfrozheimer Honors College.
She is excited about the opportunities the university offers, especially the chance to participate in a city where arts and entertainment thrive. “The number one thing I’m excited about is networking. I’m going into a bigger pond. I’m going to meet all these people that are interested in the same things that I’m interested in, probably some people that have the same goals that I have,” she said.
Lucie remains deeply grateful for her family’s and community’s encouragement, which has been crucial in helping her pursue her dreams. Her story serves as an inspirational example of how dedication and a strong support system can turn dreams into reality.