Japanese American Incarceration Stories

5 stories: When You Leave, Hakone Gardens and Executive Order 9066, Sonzai, Shikata Ga Nai (It Cannot Be Helped), and The Loyal Betrayal

THE FILMS

  • WHEN YOU LEAVE

    A young Japanese American must confront his past and learn the price of freedom when given the opportunity to leave the WWII internment camp where he is imprisoned.

  • HAKONE GARDENS AND EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066

    The story of Hakone Gardens and what happened to its Japanese gardener during the Internment. Hakone Foundation members, whose families were incarcerated in camps, share their reflections on Executive Order 9066.

  • SONZAI

    In the first half of the 20th century, Nihonmachi, or Japantown, sat in the heart of Santa Barbara’s downtown on top of the former site of the historic El Presidio de Santa Barbara. Today, no structural trace of this once vibrant neighborhood remains, only fragments and memories. Sonzai tells the story of Santa Barbara’s Nihonmachi through oral history interviews, archaeology, and the researchers who seek to understand what happened to this community. Through these strands of history, the existence of a Japanese American community interrupted by war is brought to light in the present day.

  • SHIKATA GA NAI – (It cannot be helped)

    A fantasy romance set in the ruins of a Japanese American internment camp where a young couple attempts to reconcile their relationship as ghosts.

  • THE LOYAL BETRAYAL

    A classic black-and-white Film Noir set in the Manzanar Japanese American Internment Camp, “The Loyal Betrayal” follows Eric Koyanagi and Eleanor Hanada, trapped in the WWII prison camp in the California desert, as they take a twisted journey of love, betrayal and murder ending at a makeshift camp mess hall night club on the Fourth of July.

Q&A GUESTS

  • FILMMAKER JASON YAMAMOTO, WHEN YOU LEAVE

    Jason Yamamoto was raised in Torrance, California and studied filmmaking at Chapman University with an emphasis in directing. His stories often focus on identity and family and finding one’s place. Jason hopes his work will inspire people to help one another, and know they are not alone in the world.

  • FILMMAKER CURT FUKUDA, HAKONE GARDENS AND EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066

    Curt Fukuda grew up in the Santa Clara Valley. He remembers when the area was filled with farms, orchards, and berry patches; when the air was tart with the smell of stewed tomatoes during the canning season. Curt graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Radio-TV- Film. He has worked as a filmmaker, commercial photographer, exhibiting artist, writer, graphic designer, and instructor.

  • FILMMAKER BARRE FONG, SONZAI

    Barre Fong is a fourth generation Chinese-American and San Francisco native. Barre’s activities as a filmmaker and community activist is an embodiment of his grandfather’s dream of preserving his own experience as a turn-of-the-Century Chinese immigrant. He previously served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Chinese Historical Society of America and on the Board of Trustees of Lick-Wilmerding High School. He has produced and directed short films about the Asian American experience since 2013. His 2019 film, Finding the Virgo is currently available on PBS stations across the country.

  • FILMMAKER KEVIN KODAMA, SHIKATA GA NAI – (It cannot be helped)

    Kevin Kodama is a writer/director born and raised in the suburbs of San Francisco, CA. He recently graduated summa cum laude from San Francisco State University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema. He was accepted into the 2021-2022 Undergraduate Thesis program at SFSU and was also a recipient of the 2021-2022 Marcus Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award. His short film, titled Shikata Ga Nai, recently won “Best Cinematography” at the 62nd Film Finals hosted by SF State.

  • FILMMAKER TOM HUANG, THE LOYAL BETRAYAL

    Tom Huang is an award-winning Writer/Director. His previous feature film, FIND ME, which he wrote and directed, won multiple festival awards, is 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, and became a streaming hit on Amazon Prime. Outside Magazine named it “the Indie Adventure Film we all need,” while the Hollywood Reporter called it “touching and quirky charmer.”

  • MODERATOR ROBERT HANDA

    Named as the 2015 Reporter of The Year by the Associated Press, Robert Handa is a reporter for NBC Bay Area. Robert Handa is also the host of Asian Pacific America with Robert Handa, a weekly talk show covering Asian newsmakers, events, community accolades and youth perspectives. The program airs Sunday mornings at 5:30 a.m. on NBC Bay Area and encores at 6 p.m. on COZI TV.