Following a successful festival run, the critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ film My Partner is now available on VOD.
Starring newcomers Jayron Muñoz and Kaipo Dudoit in their debut feature roles, they play two high school seniors in rural West Maui who may live in different worlds, but soon realize they aren’t so different after all. Pili (Dudoit), an extroverted Hawaiian jock, and Edmar (Muñoz), a high-achieving, introverted Filipino gamer, are caught up in a rivalry between opposing senior class friend groups at Lahainaluna High School.
The conflict comes to a head when Edmar’s group catches Pili’s overfishing a native species in a restored stream, and tensions rise further when their teacher pairs them for a semester project. Despite protests and being forced to work together, the boys slowly learn that, despite appearances, they and their cultures have much in common. Edmar and Pili become closer as they spend time together, but chaos erupts when their friends start to clash.
Produced by KSG Films, My Partner is the debut feature project of director Keli’I Grace, a native Hawaiian visual storyteller. This is also KSG Films’ first venture into the “Boys’ Love” genre, a Japanese literary style that gained traction in manga during the 1980s and ’90s before spreading across Asia. Today, “Boys’ Love” has a global fanbase, with The Economist recently comparing its popularity to that of K-pop.
Additionally, My Partner was filmed entirely in Hawaii, highlighting the state’s cultural and social issues. The production team honored the practices of Hawaii’s Kanaka host culture to ensure the film had a positive impact on Hawaiian communities portrayed in the story, and it serves as a time capsule of historic Lahaina, which tragically suffered a devastating fire in 2023.
Instinct recently caught up with Dudoit to talk more about My Partner and its journey of teenage love and self-growth, as well as what attracted him to Pili’s character, his on- and off-screen chemistry with Muñoz, and the significance of the film highlighting his native culture.
Check out the full video interview below.
Kaipo Dudoit…
Related: https://instinctmagazine.com/my-partner-depicts-how-two-boys-from-separate-worlds-collide/
Follow Dudoit: Instagram
