Hidden Histories is a touring program of short narrative films about Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Each film tells a personal story dramatizing a different period of this history, starting from Executive Order 9066 (which authorized the confinement sites) to the present-day legacy for younger generations. Hidden Histories commemorates an important chapter in our nation’s history, and pays tribute to the 120,000 Americans who suffered the indignity and untold losses of this unjustified incarceration.
These stories also serve as a cautionary tale. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, signed into law by President Reagan, declared that Japanese American incarceration was “motivated largely by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.” Despite this forceful statement, our nation is at risk of repeating these grave mistakes. Hidden Histories provides a much-needed reminder of the profound cost of abandoning our ideals of an inclusive society and equal protection under the law. confinement sites) to the present-day legacy for younger generations. Hidden Histories commemorates an important chapter in our nation’s history, and pays tribute to the 120,000 Americans who suffered the indignity and untold losses of this unjustified incarceration.
THE ORANGE STORY (2016) Directed By: Erika Street
Koji Oshima is the proud owner of a small corner grocery store, but he must now abandon everything and report to an assembly center. His belongings, his business – everything must be sold or left behind, except what he can carry in one large duffel bag. Up against a wall, Koji receives only one low-ball offer for his store, which he has no choice but to accept. The lone bright spot during this turmoil is the friendship Koji develops with a precocious nine-year-old girl. On the day of his departure, however, Koji is saddened to learn that even this friendship has been tainted by the larger forces of fear and wartime hysteria.
HENRY’S GLASSES (2010) Directed By: Brendan Uegama & Nicole G. Leier
Set in a Japanese Canadian internment camp, a young boy must use the power of his imagination to escape reality and help an elderly new friend.
TADAIMA (2015) Directed By: Robin Takao 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.