An award-winning coming-of-age journey in the midst of war and bravery, Namba introduces us to May Namba, a Japanese American woman incarnated during WWII. It's a portion of American history not often told. We learn the story of May Namba, narrated by her granddaughter Miyako Namba. Beginning with the summer of 1941, she chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt's execute order that sent Japanese Americans to prison camps, and the impact it had on those Americans.
May was incarcerated in Minidoka, one of 10 such prisons. We follow as May loses her job and her father is taken away. Yet throughout the journey, we witness May's incredible resilience and how it forges a life of service. May goes on to become an community organizer, working collaboratively to create community events and spaces for healing and justice. She mentors many local youths who go on to become the leaders they are today. In the film, May, Miyako and other members of the Namba family travel to the Minidoka site. Miyako struggles to walk May's journey. She imagines what she would bring with her in the limited luggage allowed, makes a mattress of hay in a horse stall for a bed, and visits many of the locations that shaped May's life. May Namba's patriotism, resilience, perseverance, and leadership is an inspiration for us all.
Director Biography - Emily Hanako Momohara
Emily Hanako Momohara was born in Seattle, Washington where she grew up in a mixed Asian and White family. Her work centers around issues of heritage, multiculturalism, immigration and social justice. Momohara has exhibited her artwork nationally, most notably at the Japanese American National Museum in a two-person show titled Sugar|Islands. She has been a visiting artist at several residency programs including the Center for Photography at Woodstock, Headlands Center for the Arts, Fine Arts Work Center and Red Gate Gallery Beijing. In 2015, her work was included in the Chongqing Photography and Video Biennial. Her first film NAMBA was completed in 2022 and is currently in several film festivals.
An award-winning coming-of-age journey in the midst of war and bravery, Namba introduces us to May Namba, a Japanese American woman incarnated during WWII. It's a portion of American history not often told. We learn the story of May Namba, narrated by her granddaughter Miyako Namba. Beginning with the summer of 1941, she chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt's execute order that sent Japanese Americans to prison camps, and the impact it had on those Americans.
May was incarcerated in Minidoka, one of 10 such prisons. We follow as May loses her job and her father is taken away. Yet throughout the journey, we witness May's incredible resilience and how it forges a life of service. May goes on to become an community organizer, working collaboratively to create community events and spaces for healing and justice. She mentors many local youths who go on to become the leaders they are today. In the film, May, Miyako and other members of the Namba family travel to the Minidoka site. Miyako struggles to walk May's journey. She imagines what she would bring with her in the limited luggage allowed, makes a mattress of hay in a horse stall for a bed, and visits many of the locations that shaped May's life. May Namba's patriotism, resilience, perseverance, and leadership is an inspiration for us all.
Director Biography - Emily Hanako Momohara
Emily Hanako Momohara was born in Seattle, Washington where she grew up in a mixed Asian and White family. Her work centers around issues of heritage, multiculturalism, immigration and social justice. Momohara has exhibited her artwork nationally, most notably at the Japanese American National Museum in a two-person show titled Sugar|Islands. She has been a visiting artist at several residency programs including the Center for Photography at Woodstock, Headlands Center for the Arts, Fine Arts Work Center and Red Gate Gallery Beijing. In 2015, her work was included in the Chongqing Photography and Video Biennial. Her first film NAMBA was completed in 2022 and is currently in several film festivals.