For Kolby Moser, the life of a filmmaker has been filled with long days, constant phone calls, and scheduling as she prepares for the production of season two of her award-winning docuseries, “Eating Our Roots.”
The eight-episode series highlights ingredients found on Hawai‘i Island and celebrates the farmers, ranchers and fishermen who grow these foods that nourish the community, as well as raises awareness on the importance of food sustainability.
“My passion is to tell the stories of our people here in Hawai‘i, our culture and the things that we struggle with,” says Kolby.
To bring the docuseries to life, Kolby teamed up with celebrity chef Ippy Aiona. Chef Ippy, who owns Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ and the Dizzy Pita in Waimea and is a frequent guest on the Food Network, serves as the host, co-producer and writer of “Eating Our Roots.”
In each episode, Chef Ippy engages with a guest or local farmer, learning the history, use and impact of the featured ingredient that is grown or produced in Hawai‘i. He then takes viewers to the kitchen, where he cooks a dish using that specific ingredient.
Season one of “Eating Our Roots” included items like beef, coffee, salt, kalo, ‘ulu and green onion, sharing stories of families who have been working with the food for, oftentimes, generations.
Kolby spends weeks behind the scenes directing and working in pre- and post-production to bring the stories to life.
“We wanted to do something more about the farmers and the people who are producing our food. Farmers, fishermen, butchers, food producers who are feeding us and nourishing us, and making them the stars of the show,” says Kolby.
The first season of “Eating Our Roots” won an Emmy Award for Editor Content - Short or Long Form.
Kolby is most proud of the hard work and sacrifice of her small production team. "Season one was a true passion project. We had one sponsor who got the show on air, but my company absorbed 100% of the costs involved in creating the show,” she says.
Both Kolby and Chef Ippy volunteered endless hours of their time, but their passion for honoring local farmers spread throughout the community.
Kolby shares, “At the end of the season, we put on a dinner to cover some production costs. Everything from the tent to the food, flowers and entertainment was all donated. The community came out in force, and it was a sold-out event—even though it happened during an actual hurricane!"
Season two of “Eating Our Roots” premieres on Oct. 4 on K5 at 8:30 p.m. There will be eight brand-new episodes. All episodes, including season one, are streaming online on HawaiiNewsNow.com, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Prime.
She adds that this season will cover important issues such as water rights, food sustainability and funding that was cut to the local farmers. Kolby hopes “Eating Our Roots” will encourage the next generation to become farmers. “We wouldn't be able to live and thrive here in Hawaii without them,” she says.
“I hope that the people who are making our food feel like the heroes that they are,” says Kolby. “They deserve all the credit. It is a hard, grueling job to deal with weather, taxes and invasive species; they're up before the sun, and their work never ends. I just want them to feel celebrated, but I also want us to be educated as consumers to make smart choices when we're at the farmer's market, or we're at the grocery store.”
Kolby says she’s a “Big Island girl through and through.” She graduated from Ka'ū High School, received a degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and worked as a news producer at KGMB before starting her company, Aria Studios, in 2008. Aria Studios is a team of filmmakers, photographers and creatives who photograph and film documentaries, commercials, weddings and more.
Although Kolby and her team have been producing films for nearly two decades, she recently realized the true impact of filmmaking and storytelling, and uses that passion to tell stories of the people of Hawai‘i.
“Our kūpuna were storytellers and filmmaking is our generation’s medium to tell stories. I’ve seen it really impact lives. I've seen it heal and transform lives. It’s a really powerful tool,” says Kolby.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Kolby says so much was changing, and she began to think about what she wanted her legacy to be and whether her work was making a difference.
In 2022, she created “Hometown Legends”, a documentary that highlighted five kūpuna on Hawai‘i Island who are masters of their craft. “Hometown Legends” was featured in over a dozen film festivals worldwide.
“I think it takes some going out and living life and trying different things [to become a good storyteller]. It’s a big kuleana, a big responsibility, to tell the right stories, the right way,” says Kolby, who is also a mentor for PBS Hawai‘i’s Hiki Nō program. “I hope that we're able to raise up more Hawaiian and local filmmakers because there are a lot of stories to tell about our home. It's a really special place.”
To learn more about Kolby Moser and “Eating Our Roots,” visit AriaStudios.com.
I hope that the people who are making our food feel like the heroes that they are.