Removed by Force memorializes the unique and relatively unknown experiences of the 1,500 Americans of Japanese ancestry from 23 geographic areas in Hawai‘i who were evicted from their homes, but not interned, during World War II. Their quest for redress is told from personal interviews and stories by affected individuals, Honolulu JACL and NAPABA lawyers, volunteers and government officials.

Director Biography - Ryan Kawamoto

Ryan Kawamoto is a television and film director based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, represented by Kinetic Productions.

His last film, “Voices Behind Barbed Wire: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” was an official selection of the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (2018), aired on PBS Hawaiʻi, and was awarded a 2020 Preservation Honor Award by the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation. He wrote and directed "The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai'i, ” which was also an official selection of the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (2012), ran theatrically, and was broadcast on PBS Hawai’i. His narrative feature film is, "Hang Loose," an Asian American comedy starring Kevin Wu, aka YouTuber KevJumba (“Revenge of the Green Dragons,” “Man-Up!,”), Dante Basco (“Hook,” “The Debut”), and Justin Chon (“Gook,” “Blue Bayou”). The film was nominated for Best Feature at the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Kawamoto also directed the short film "The Sand Island Drive-In Anthem," winner of the 2005 HIFF Audience Award for Best Short Film.