A Paradise Lost

The true story of one small Hawaiian bird who took a stand changed the rules.

A Paradise Lost — Plot

The film unfolds through the POV of the Palila called Anuenue who stood as the client in 1979 court trials. The legal battle leveraged the Endangered Species Act to protect māmane forests where 2,500 Palila competed with introduced sheep & goats. He explains how they won in court, but are still in jeopardy; in 2024, only 300 Palila remain. Today, a Native Hawaiian conservationist struggles to save them amidst escalating threats of climate change, wildfires, introduced predators, diseases, and governmental neglect.

• Release date
• October 19, 2025
• Runtime
• 89 min
• Genres
• Animation, Documentary
• Director
• Laurie Sumiye

A Paradise Lost — Cast

K

Kalā Lindsey-Asing Self

M

Michael Sherwood Self

M

Marjorie Ziegler Self Kaipo Schwab Anuenue (voice)