Wai'anae resident Denise Saylors is so concerned about homelessness in her community that she made a film about it. "This Is Paradise?" airs on 'Olelo 54 today through Monday.

Saylors moved from California to Wai'anae two years ago with her husband: she to "reinvent" herself, her retired fireman husband to surf. A former sports producer for Professional Team Tennis, Saylors took classes to pursue a new career.

She turned her lens on Wai'anae's growing ranks of homeless for her debut production to open dialogue on a situation in which, she says, "nobody gets to live a successful lifestyle," with or without shelter.

While the film looks like a first-time effort, with more focus on talking heads than narrative, Saylors' interviews with Wai'anae residents give viewers an inside look at the issue of homelessness, which is drawing increasing attention in the Islands.

While filming, Saylors said in a written statement that she tried "to make clear this is not my story. I went up and down the coastline and recorded people's stories. I just happen to have the camera."

Saylors interviewed residents, business owners and homeless people. Legislator Maile Shimabukuro and gubernatorial candidate William Aila — both from Wai'anae — also appear.

The filmmaker's goal is to spur communication between disgruntled residents and lawmakers to find solutions.

And it looks like that's happening. The response — from people with and without homes — to the film has been so positive that Saylors is organizing a community meeting on Tuesday to discuss solutions that will benefit homeless and residents alike.