From The Garden island …

John Wehrheim struggled for years with what to do with the pictures.

His collection of photos are both deeply personal and emblematic of an era. They document a time and place on Kaua‘i that some reviled, some adored and many knew only as a punchline to local jokes or a codeword for a 1970s phenomenon: Taylor Camp.

Wehrheim wanted to publish a book of his photos from Ha‘ena’s infamous clothing-optional, alternative lifestyle, hippies-in-treehouses community, a news release states.

But he didn’t want to do just another book of photography and he had an idea for a film.

As an intermediate step, he ended up creating a 20-minute slide show of the photos set to period music and showed it at the Kilauea Theater as a one-night fundraiser for Kaua‘i Community Radio.

“An hour before the screening every seat in the house was taken and there were 1,000 people outside wanting to get in,” Wehrheim said. “The ‘slideshow’ was held over for a week. I knew then we had a film and decided that I would create a feature-length feature documentary.”

Wehrheim then set out to get video interviews of the players involved in the Taylor Camp saga, including politicians, community leaders and the camp residents themselves.

Though the title names the infamous hippie community, Taylor Camp is really the story of Kaua‘i “back in the day,” a time when the old jail had only one prisoner and the door was never locked. It’s a story of Kaua‘i’s former innocence, simplicity, beauty and what’s been lost. And much of the story is told by local people: Samson Mahuiki, Sam Lee, Edwardo Malapit, Clorinda Nakashima, Max Graham, Bobo Ham Young, Mitchell Alapa, Koon Ye Ching, David Sproat, Michael Ching, Judy Wakumoto and many others.

A first rough edit of the film opened on Kaua‘i to an overflowing crowd last June. Since then it’s evolved through many edits, added more interviews, more historic footage and photos, and played to rave reviews and packed theaters all over Hawai‘i, as well as California, the Midwest, Norway, Japan, Thailand and Bhutan. Wehrheim claims that the edit being screened this weekend is very close to the final, the release says.

Want to go?

‘Taylor Camp’ shows at 6 and 8 p.m. in Lihu‘e, Friday, at the KCC Performing Arts Center.

Tickets at: Banana Patch Gallery (335-5944 or 828-6522), Data Space Industries (245-16940, Hawaiian Music Hut (823-0302 or 826-0245), Island Soap & Candle (742-1945), Kaua‘i Music and Sound (823-8000), Scotty’s Music 9332-0090, The Wine Garden (245-5766), Larry’s Music (822-4181).

The film screens at 7 (sold out) and 9 p.m. on the North Shore, Saturday, at the Princeville Spa/Golf Clubhouse. Tickets available at Hanalei Surf Company (826-9000).

All tickets are $10.

For more information, visit www.taylorcampkauai.com

(Source: The Garden island)