Produced by Murasaki Productions, LLC.
Using historical footage and interviews from artists who were interned, this film tells the story of how traditional Japanese cultural arts were maintained at a time when the War Relocation Authority (WRA) emphasized the importance of assimilation and Americanization. Various essays and studies concerning the camps have been published, but have focused on the political and legal aspects of the internment, while hardly mentioning cultural and recreational activities in the camps. When cultural and recreational activities have been documented, they have focused on American culture, such as baseball and swing music. This film will be the first major presentation of the existence of traditional music, dance and drama in the camps. It includes stories of 19 artists in the fields of music (koto, nagauta shamisen, shakuhachi, shigin, biwa), dance (buyo, obon) and drama (kabuki) who were interned at Tule Lake, Manzanar, Amache/Granada, Rohwer, Gila River, and Topaz. (With Japanese subtitles)
Running time: 56:45 min. Extras: 50 min.
FOR HOME USE ONLY. For institutional purchases contact: info@jcalegacy.com
