GU MAGAZINE
SHIRO'S HEAD, THE LEGEND
By Maya Alonso

Creative collaboration has always come naturally to brothers Kel and Don Muna, but while their earliest projects together included songwriting and producing, it is filmmaking that currently has them captivated.

Intrigued by the post-production process of film editing, Kel Muna decided to study filmmaking in Florida at the Full Sail School of Film. Graduating with honors in 2002, Kel, along with his brother, Don, began a long list of creative endeavors, including a position at the San Francisco Bay Area's news channel KTVU, a documentary focused on enhancing breast cancer awareness and their current project, "Shiro's Head, The Legend."

With little more to rub together than their Visa credit cards, the pair decided it was time to get started on a dream they had been nurturing for years. They wrote the original screenplay and flew home to Guam to film it. What they found was a group of hard-working young actors whom, for having no formal training, were surprisingly talented.

"Shiro's Head, The Legend" went through three rewrites before the final scene was shot, largely due to the volume of creative collaboration from the cast, whose emotional capabilities surpassed the expectations of the Munas, as well as the original script.

Cast member Julius Caesar Santos, local comedian, radio personality and member of the Malafunkshun tribe, says of his role, "I play Jacob, who is like a big brother to the lead character, Noah. I did get to throw in a couple of jokes but for the most part, it's a straight role. It's definitely going to be a shocker for people who are used to my comical antics."

Without spoiling it for the audience, "Shiro's Head, The Legend," is best described as an action-drama that, through a plot centered on a case of mistaken identity, addresses themes of familial bonds and pride and life-changing decisions. Kel elaborates, "It's about wanting something so bad, how far are you wiling to go to get it? Are you willing to step outside your comfort zone?"

Don explains that while the film was shot in Guam and the narrative incorporates all aspects of the local culture, including some scenes in which the Chamorro language is spoken, the universal themes explored will allow the film to be related to an international audience.

"Shiro's Head, The Legend" is currently in post-production with a release date yet to be announced. While the Muna brothers would love to premiere their film on the island, they want to keep options open for the best possible national and international exposure, keeping in mind not only the film but Guam as well. While critics and nay-sayers are often the bane of a filmmaker's existence, Kel and Don Muna say they will mark their success when one local filmmaker says, "I can make a better movie than that," and does.