The film reveals PCC student-workers life with honesty, enduring aloha spirit and cultural pride
"Sharing Aloha” is a feature documentary about performers at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC), said Lutz Lingthiem, a PCC social media manager and an alumnus from Tahiti. Alumni like Jimmy Tang from Hong Kong said the film brought back the aloha spirit they remembered from working at PCC. For Timoci Kean, a senior from Fiji featured in the documentary, he was proud to see his life and culture represented on screen.
A raw look behind PCC life
Lingthiem said “Sharing Aloha” was a powerful reflection of how BYUH international students balance academics while funding their education through part-time work at PCC. He was struck by the film’s honesty and depth because it gave audiences a behind-the-scenes view of Hawaii’s top tourist attraction, especially “the financial and academic challenges students have to face,” he explained.
One scene that stood out to him, Lingthiem said, was the night show auditions. He said he didn’t expect that competitive and intense moment to be presented this emotionally raw. “One of the characters was sad she didn’t get hired. That part showed the downside of what a typical PCC worker had to face, not just good sides,” he added.
Beyond watching the films, Lingthiem said he was part of the PCC social media team promoting “Sharing Aloha”. He described the experience as both exciting and meaningful. “All of us were grateful. My team kept saying, ‘When will there ever be another chance to promote a big movie like this?’” he said.
Lingthiem said working with the film crew also gave him valuable hands-on experience. “The crew was big—maybe not as big as Marvel Studios, but still professional. I learned skills like editing photos and videos, preparing posts and boosting outreach. I hope to use them in my future career,” he said.
The controversies answered
Kean, a senior from Fiji majoring in political science and pacific studies at BYUH, said he acknowledged some people criticize PCC for using students to “sell” culture, but he sees it differently. “People say that because they don’t know the truth of student life here,” he said.
“I’m proud of my culture. I love to represent it through performing at PCC,” said Kean. He said BYUH work-study program makes that possible, since performing is his part-time job at PCC. “All you have to do is go to class and to work, and it’s all covered,” he said.
Kean explained he became part of the “Sharing Aloha” when PCC’s Fiji Village manager selected students to meet with the producers. “I shared my story with them about leaving Fiji to pursue an education at BYUH and that’s how I was selected,” he said.
From there, Kean’s story of leaving home to pursue education was chosen, and the film crew even traveled with him back to Fiji through a scholarship program that allowed him to return home. “At that time, it had been a year since I came home. It’s expensive to go back so I was grateful for that opportunity,” he said.
Kean said the work-study experience taught him the value of community and diversity at BYUH. “This is the place to be. The connections you make can go beyond school and PCC. Especially for new students, it’s important to take advantage of what’s here because it can shape
your future.”
Finding Aloha again
Jimmy Tang, a BYUH alumnus from Hong Kong, said the producers did a great job making the audience feel the aloha spirit and easing his own yearning for Hawaii. He said, “[The film] brought back the same feeling I experienced while working at PCC in my college years. I believe it to be the aloha spirit.”
Tang said he first heard about the film from a friend still studying at BYUH. Missing Hawai‘i, he said he jumped at the chance to watch it during a special session of the Utah Area Young Single Adults (YSA) Conference 2025 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. “I was actually looking for a volunteer opportunity for the conference, but then I saw “Sharing Aloha” on the schedule, so I went to see it,” he said.
Of all the stories, Tang said Leilani’s touched him the most. He related to her deeply because, like him, she could not return home during college. Tang explained that throughout his four years at BYUH, he never had the chance to visit his family. “I miss the comfort of home, familiar traditions and my loved ones. And I think because of that, it made her story especially meaningful.” To him, the aloha spirit means kindness, unity, and making others feel at home, and Leilani embodied that warmth despite her struggles.