Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, in partnership with the HPA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, proudly presents Voices for Belonging and Community Conversations, a four-part film series to inspire thoughtful dialogue about place, identity, and belonging through storytelling. 

As the first offering of our film series, we are very excited to host a special documentary screening of Hold Your Fire, a critically-acclaimed film by Waimea resident and HPA parent Stefan Forbes. 

We invite you to join us on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 6:30 pm at the Gates Performing Arts Center (GPAC) on HPA's Upper Campus. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker. Admission is free and open to the public. 

The film is about the longest hostage siege in New York City and how NYPD became the first police force with a modern hostage negotiation department. The documentary premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and was named one of the best films of 2022 by The New York Times.

As described by Rotten Tomatoes: “In 1973, four young African-American men stealing guns for self-defense in Brooklyn were cornered by the NYPD. A violent gun battle killed a police officer, beginning the longest hostage siege in NYPD history. The NYPD's 130-year-old policy was to deliver an ultimatum, then respond with deadly force. Could visionary police psychologist Harvey Schlossberg convince his superiors to do the unthinkable — negotiate with "criminals" — and save twelve hostages from an impending bloodbath? In never-before-seen film and gripping interviews with survivors, Hold Your Fire uncovers what really happened in this landmark event with the potential to revolutionize American policing.”

We look forward to seeing you there!