Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
July 22, 2026
Source: YouTube
“What species has the right to exist?” An official trailer has debuted for an inspirational documentary film titled A Paradise Lost, made by artist / filmmaker Laurie Sumiye. An Animated Hawaiian Bird weaves an epic tale as the first animal to sue humans to prevent their extinction, amidst threats of climate change, fire, and sheep. This doc is about conservation and a fight to save animals from extinction. Ready for theatrical release soon, along with a debut on PBS this year. A Paradise Lost is a timely fable from the Bird Extinction Capital of the World about the plight of a rare yellow bird at the heart of Palila v. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, a landmark lawsuit in 1979 where an endangered animal took humans to court to prevent extinction. A stuffed palila stood in the courtroom as lead plaintiff, becoming a symbol for native species fighting for their right to exist against introduced sheep & goats invading their island home. With a blend of interviews, archival, vérité, animation, the film poetically weaves non-human perspectives of nature, and interconnected stories of life, death, rebirth and recovery. Yep sounds good, I want to watch! Starring Kalā Lindsey-Asing, Michael Sherwood, Marjorie Ziegler + Kaipo Schwab as the Voice of Ānuenue.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Laurie Sumiye’s doc A Paradise Lost, direct from YouTube:
A timely fable about the plight of a rare yellow bird at the heart of Palila v. Hawaii, a landmark lawsuit in 1979 where an endangered animal took humans to court to prevent its own extinction. A Paradise Lost sweeps audiences straight into the struggle of Palila on Hawaii Island, journeying into misty sub-alpine forests. This doc from the Extinction Capital of the World has been a decade in the making, uncovering the decades-long battle with hunters against restoring Palila’s habitat & removing the game animals eating native forests, pushing the bird to the edge of extinction. Through intimate interviews, colorful animation & stunning footage of Mauna Kea, the film highlights Hawaii in a way that most have never experienced. A Paradise Lost is directed by Hawaiian nature artist Laurie Sumiye (visit her website), making her first feature film after many other shorts previously. It’s produced by Anne Misawa. This first premiered at the 2025 Hawai’i Film Festival last year. The doc film debuts in select US theaters starting on July 31st, 2026. A Paradise Lost will also air on PBS later this year. For details, visit the film’s official site. Want to watch?
