THE ORANGE STORY
Directed by Erika Street
February 1942. President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, which authorizes the forced“ relocation” of 120,000 ethnic Japanese from their homes and into incarceration camps throughout the U. S. The Orange Story follows the experience of Koji Oshima, the proud owner of a small corner grocery store in the Bay Area, but he must now abandon everything and report to an assembly center. On“ evacuation day,” Koji waits in line at the
local bus depot, along with hundreds of men, women, and children of Japanese descent. Armed soldiers herd the people forward for processing, tagging, and boarding. Before Koji boards the bus, he has a chance to buy some oranges from the little girl by the bus. Koji offers his money to the little girl only to discover that she charges two different prices, one for“ Americans” and one for“ Japs.”
Narrative | 13 minutes | 2016
A SONG FOR MANZANAR
Directed by Kazuko Golden
A Song for Manzanar is based on chapters of a novel being completed by Yoshimi Golden. The film draws upon a true story about the forced internment in 1942 of a young Japanese American father, mother, and their toddler son in Manzanar Concentration Camp located in the Owens Valley near Lone Pine, California. The film depicts the relationship between the protagonist who is in Manzanar and her younger sister who is in Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. The closeness of the sisters is shown in glimpses of childhood experiences, a conversation as young women, and the dogged effort of the older sister to get a letter out of the camp to her sister in Hiroshima.
Narrative | 18 minutes | 2015
TADAIMA
Directed by Robin D’ Oench
George, Akiko, Kaori, and Kazuo return to their former house in the summer of 1945, following the end of World War II and the closure of the Japanese American Internment camps. Arriving home, they find the house ransacked by vandals and in a state of disrepair. Emotions flair and each individual member of the family react differently to the homecoming. While rebuilding their home, the family is able to recover a“ takarabako” – a chest of memorable items that had to be left behind before the evacuation, bringing the family closer together. As the day draws to a close, there is a glimmer of hope that the future holds better days. TADAIMA honors the legacy of Paul Takagi, 92-year old former internee, WWII veteran, Berkeley Professor Emeritus, and the Director’ s grandfather. The film stars Toshi Toda( PEARL HARBOR, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA), Vivian Umino, Mackenyu Maeda, and Jordyn Kanaya.
Narrative | 15 minutes | 2015