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SUNDAY, APRIL 09

3:15pm TO YOU SWEETHEART, ALOHA
Mercedes Coats & S. Leo Chiang | 2004 | 60 min | video | USA

Bill Tapia taught himself to play the ukelele as a young boy and at the age of ten, he was already playing USO shows for servicemen stationed in Oahu during WWI. He continued playing professionally as a jazz guitarist for studio recording, and for the next several decades, his talent led him from Hawaii, to the mainland and beyond, where he sat in with the likes of Louis Arm-strong and gave ukelele lessons once in a while to everyone from Clark Gable to Jimmy Durante to Shirley Temple.
For over fifty years as a session musician, the ukelele hardly ever found itself into his hands. But when he sufiered two deep personal losses—his daughter Cleo passing away from cancer at age 60 and then his wife of 64 years Barbie shortly afterwards—the instrument returned to a dominant presence in his life, like the rescue of an old friend.

Now well into his 90s, and with the help of his 26 year-old manager Alyssa, Mr. Tapia is as connected to his music as ever. With only memories of his wife and only daughter, Bill finds a muse in Alyssa that keeps him going artistically and emotionally, even as his age slowly catches up to his youth.
To You Sweetheart, Aloha follows the charming and charismatic, yet achingly vulnerable Bill Tapia and his unconventional friendship with his manager, and shows how resilient a man play-ing a ukelele can be.
Co-sponsored by Aloha Grill

SPOTLIGHTING
Justin Lin and Josh Diamond | 2005 | 25 min | video | USA

For several decades, the Sunspots, a hilarious group of Filipino musicians best described as “your funniest uncles,” have had audiences doubled over at the Omaha Lounge of the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. Spotlighting follows the evolution of the band and its relationship with its devoted fans.

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