A Paradise Lost is the enchanting tale of a small, yellow bird at the heart of Palila v. Hawaii, a landmark lawsuit where an endangered animal took humans to court to prevent their extinction. Through vivid hand-drawn animation and archival footage, Anuenue, a stuffed Palila which stood on the plaintiffs table during the court trial in 1979, tells their story of how they and human allies used the Endangered Species Act, arguing for the right of 2,500 Palila to exist. A Hawaiian voice actor brings to life Anuenue’s story as a symbol for Native Hawaiian species fighting for their right to exist. In the present day, through a blend of interviews, vérité and animation, humans shed additional light on the case, while Kala Asing, a young Hawaiian conservationist, tries to recover the species as climate change and wildfires threaten to wipe them out. A timely fable from the Extinction Capital of the World, the film poetically weaves non-human perspectives of nature, as well their interconnected stories of life, death, rebirth and recovery.
