Nisei Soldiers Film Series: A Flicker in Eternity

Date: July 20, 2013

Time: 1 p.m.

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In celebration of the Congressional Gold Medal's tour stop in the Bay Area (June 29 to August 4, de Young Museum), JAMsj is pleased to present a film series honoring our Nisei soldiers. The series continues in July with three more films. 

A Flicker in Eternity is the coming-of-age tale of Stanley Hayami, a talented young teenager caught between his dream of becoming a writer/artist and duty to his country. Based on Hayami's own diary, this documentary is the firsthand account of a 15-year-old thrust into the turmoil of WWII and is a poignant reminder of the indignity of incarceration and the tragedy of war. Through Hayami's endearing cartoons and witty observations, this film chronicles his life behind barbed wire and as a soldier in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It is based on his diary and letters, which are archived at the Japanese American National Museum, and Joanne Oppenheim's book, Stanley Hayami, Nisei Son. 

Honor & Sacrifice is the story of one man's journey from early hardship  to a concentration camp and ultimately to the stature of authentic American hero. This story is based on Roy Matsumoto's nearly unbelievable contribution as a member of Merrill's Marauders. Matsumoto was a man of extraordinary strength, stamina, wit, and courage, as this story demonstrates. But in most respects he was also a typical member of the Japanese American community he grew up in, showing the qualities of determination, loyalty, and acceptance of sacrifice throughout his life and military service years. These same qualities define the honorable place in US history occupied by Japanese Americans of the 20th century.

Ann Kaneko is a Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker, who has produced numerous award-winning shorts and documentaries, includingAgainst the Grain: An Artist's Guide to Peru and Overstay. She has also been commissioned to create media installations for the Skirball Cultural Center, Japanese American National Museum, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Getty Center.

Lawson Sakai is the founder of the Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans.  He joined the 442^ndRegimental Combat Team (442^nd RCT) in March 1943, after being denied enlistment two years earlier because of his Japanese ancestry. He received four Purple Heart Medals and a Bronze Star Medal, having participated in all major campaigns of the 442^nd RCT, including the liberation of Bruyeres, France; rescue of the "Lost Battalion," France; and breaking of the Gothic Line, Italy. 

Katsumi (Kats) Hikido joined the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team (442^ndRCT) while he and his family were incarcerated at the Gila River WRA camp. While serving in Europe, he was injured in both legs by a land mine. As a result, he nearly died and spent 2 ½ years in an Army hospital before recovering enough to walk again. 

 The film will be followed by Q&A with filmmaker Sharon Yamato. RSVP required. 
Cost: Each film screening is free with admission to the museum (non-members, $5; students and seniors over age 65, $3; JAMsj members and children under 12, free). 

 Please email PublicPrograms@JAMsj.org or call the JAMsj office at (408) 294-3138 to reserve your spot. 

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