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Last week the Sundance Film Festival hosted the new Mitt Romney documentary that gives viewers an exclusive look into the two presidential campaigns by Mitt Romney and his family. “[One] thing I need to tell you about the Romneys is that they are polite to a fault. They are extremely gracious people,” said the director of “Mitt,” Greg Whitely, to US News. “So as the couple of them that came up to me and wished me congratulations, I’m not sure I can tag that as an indication of whether they liked the film or not. I just don’t know.”The documentary was produced by Netflix and released on Friday, Jan. 24. The documentary features footage shot over the course of six years by Whitley, including intimate moments in the Romney home from as far back as 2006. The film portrays Romney as a family man and narrows the gap between the public’s perception of “Robot Romney” and who he really is, according to the New York Daily News.“I think it will be helpful for people to see what Mormons are all about,” said Taylor Bramwell, a junior majoring in EXS from Kailua. “A lot of people have questions because he was a very popular candidate for the presidency, so I think it will be good for people to see more about his personal life. A lot of what they see is skewed.”Whitley, after showing friends various cuts of the film, found that the candid scenes he captured surprised and shocked those who viewed Romney the way the media portrayed him. “These were people who mostly were pretty disposed to not like Mitt Romney, and then when they would see this footage they were surprised,” Whitley told US News on Jan. 23. “There was a gulf between how he was publicly digested and the footage that I got. I think that’s probably the secret sauce to the movie I made.”Romney was aware of his weaknesses as a Republican candidate, but knew it would ultimately give him an identity he would be proud to represent for the rest of his life. “When this is over, I will have built a brand name,” said Romney, as quoted in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “7 Things We Learned from the Mitt Romney Sundance Doc” by Logan Hill. “Everyone will know what I stand for,” said Romney.Chelsea Owens, a senior majoring in EXS, agreed, saying, “I hadn’t actually heard about it, but it would probably be an interesting movie and good to see a more in depth perspective.”

These three people are amongst the many impressive Seasider Alumni. Where they are now can be attributed, even in a small sense, to their attendance at BYU-Hawaii. Their backgrounds extend across oceans, fulfilling the sacred prophecy of the university’s mission.1. Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin Faleomavaega, Jr.Faleomavaega was born in America Samoa, but grew up in Laie. He graduated from Kahuku High and attended BYUH. He earned his associate’s degree here and went on to receive his bachelor’s at BYU in Provo. From there, Faleomavaega, went to the University of Houston Law Center and UC Berkeley, earning his juris doctor and master’s of Law degrees. He served in the United States Army from 1966-99, and served in the reserves as an officer from 1982-89. In Faleomavaega’s early political career, he served as the administrative assistant to American Samoa Delegate, A.U. Fuimaono from 1973-1975. He went on to serve as Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa from 1985-1989. Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin Faleomavaega, Jr. is a member of the House of Representatives (elected in 1989) and has worked tirelessly since being sworn in to provide funding and health care to his home territory.2. Paul Asi TaulavaPaul Asi Taulava, also known as Asi Taulava, is an American-born Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player in the Philippines who is currently playing for Air21 Express in the Philippine Basketball Association. Asi stands at a staggering 6-foot, 9-inches and weighs 275 lbs. Many believe him to be one of the most dynamic and dominant Filipinos to ever play in the PBA. Throughout his 15-year career, Taulava has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. He is also a many-time member of the Philippines’ national basketball team in national competitions and tournaments. Taulava played for the BYUH Seasiders and is among the athlete alumni who have gone on to professional careers.3. Yue-Sai KanKan is a Chinese-American Emmy winning television host and producer, successful entrepreneur, fashion icon, bestselling author and humanitarian. People magazine named her “the most famous woman in China” and Time magazine proclaimed her “the Queen of the Middle Kingdom.” She moved to Hawaii from Hong Kong and studied as a piano major. Whilst being a student at BYUH, Kan entered the Narcissus Flower Beauty Pageant sponsored by the Oahu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and was the second runner up. As part of her duties, she traveled the world. After her tour, she joined her sister in New York in 1972, becoming involved in public relations and television production work. Kan’s TV credits include the ABC documentary “China Walls and Bridges,” which received a coveted Emmy Award in 1989, and “Journey through a Changing China.” “Journey” was syndicated across the country and was so powerful that it was publicly lauded in the United States Congressional Record, and called Kan a “citizen ambassador.” Since 2006, Kan has been serving as chairwoman of the Invitation Committee of the Shanghai International Film Festival. She single-handedly secured the attendance of many A-list stars, including Halle Berry, Catherine Deneuve, Liam Neeson, and Andie MacDowell to name a few. Her involvement has uplifted the status of the festival to an international level.