Struggle for Existence

In 2025, five rare Palila finches survive in the wild and a woman journeys to Hawaii, the Extinction Capital of the World, to see the last few birds. Through animation and live-action footage, the film explores how a species is preserved by man as it nears extinction by looking at past and present efforts to save Hawaiian birds. Struggle for Existence contemplates Darwin’s theory of natural selection, inevitability of death, and our human instinct to “save nature.” Do we value the animals with whom we share this planet, or is the destruction of a species the natural course of life?

Production Credits: Directed, Animated, Written and Edited by Laurie Sumiye.

Music Hans Fahling

Sound Mixer Ted Marcus

Color Colin Travers

Animation Advisor Douglas Filiak

Technical Advisor Eric Freidenberg

Story Advisor Geeta Patel

Camera David Corrigan Tim OʻBryan Laurie Sumiye

Photo Credit Jack Jeffrey Miki Noguchi Peter Somol Jason Sumiye

Cast (in order of appearance)

Charles Darwin - Kim Pimmel

Henry Wetherbee - Henshaw Benjamin Moss

Donald Dickey - Dylan Gaultier

Cindy Spiva-Evans - Kuʻulei Miura Fahling

Woman - Laurie Sumiye