Inspiring Community Through Film A Night with Tadashi Nakamura, Asian American Filmmaker

Date: Feb. 6, 2010

Time: 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

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Asian American documentary Filmmaker, Tadashi “Tad” Nakamura will premiere two of his films in Seattle on February 6th, 2010, at the NVC Memorial Hall from 7-9:30 PM. The newly established YoGos (an abbreviation for Yonsei and Gosei) are collaborating with NVC to secure the venue and bring the young, Los-Angeles-based director to Seattle.

The Pacific Citizen describes Nakamura as a “young filmmaker who’s somehow managed to make history cool.” Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tadashi “Tad” Nakamura is a 29 year old, fourth-generation Japanese American and second-generation filmmaker. Nakamura’s introduction to film began when he was 9 days old; he made his first and last on-screen appearance in Hito Hata: Raise the Banner (1980). Having received his M.A. in Social Documentation from UC Santa Cruz and a B.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA, Tad Nakamura strives to create art that both inspires and builds communities.

The YoGos have asked to show two of Nakamura’s most recent documentaries: A Song For Ourselves and Pilgrimage. The former is an intimate journey into the life and music of Asian American Movement troubadour Chris Iijima. Struggling to make sense of their father’s early death, Iijima’s teenage sons learn that during the 1970s -- when Asian Americans were still considered “Orientals” – their father’s music and passion for social justice helped provide a voice and identity for an entire generation that had previously been left unheard and unnoticed. According to filmmaker Nakamura, “A Song For Ourselves is an attempt to capture the essence of this [Japanese American] community I am grateful and proud to be a part of.”

The second featured film is Pilgrimage. This documentary reveals the transformation of an abandoned WWII Japanese American internment camp into what Nakamura says is “a symbol of retrospection and solidarity for people of all ages, races, and nationalities in our post 9/11 world.”

The two films will be shown at the NVC Memorial Hall on Saturday, February 6th, from 7-9:30 PM, doors open at 6:30 PM. The movie admission is free and beverages will be provided. There will be a time for Q&A with the director after the film screenings. Seat availability is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you would like to reserve a seat for this screening, or have more information please RSVP to ryenms@gmail.com or lindsay.higashi@gmail.com.

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