Taking 250 images from Herb Kawainui Kane’s 1976 book “Voyage — The Discovery of Hawaiçi,” along with new images from the 80-year-old artist to maintain continuity, filmmaker Paul Csige has created at 62-minute animated film told from the perspective of a crew member on a double-hulled sailing canoe.

The story is an old one — 1,500-years-old — about the exploration from what is now French Polynesia to the isolated islands of Hawaiçi. But the animation technique is modern, using computer graphic enhancements to layer Kane’s two dimensional photos to create the illusion of movement and depth in the work.

The film is groundbreaking in the sense that Kane did every visual image himself, while Csige single-handedly did the directing and editing, along with composing the film score. But the film includes Polynesian performers inthe cast and crew, with local actor Dennis Evangelista providing narration; Anthony Natividad of Ulalena on Maui played the ‘ohe hano ‘ihu (Hawaiian nose flute), 'ukeke (Hawaiian stringed mouth harp) and gnuru (Maori nose flute). Kumu hula Larry Kahekili Ursua and Hawaiian historian Danny Akaka, Jr. helped with Hawaiian translations, singing performances and percussion. Larry Kahekila Ursua perform sthe hanting chant-like melody at the end of the film.

The film’s theatrical premiere — a one-night-only event — is at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea at 8 p.m. Saturday.

For reservations, call the Kahilu Theatre box office at (808) 885-6868