A short documentary tracing one Hawaii family's decades-long search for a missing ancestor has uncovered a painful piece of local history, and it's neutral-to-positive news for anyone interested in preserving that history.

• A former local news anchor spent years investigating what happened to her missing great-grandmother before turning the discovery into a short film.
• The family learned their ancestor was exiled to Kalaupapa in 1900 after being diagnosed with Hansen's disease, commonly known as leprosy.
• They never found her grave, but located the places she lived and likely places she was buried, closing part of a mystery that spanned generations.
• The film highlights how patients sent to the Kalaupapa peninsula were effectively treated as prisoners, a chapter of Hawaii history the family wants people to keep talking about.

Outlook: The documentary premieres on Oahu over Halloween weekend before screening on Hawaii Island the following week, with the family continuing to search for more details about their ancestor's life.