Today, I moderated the Q&A for the world theatrical premiere of Kintsukuroi at the historic Gardena Cinema, hosted by Judy Kim, alongside an enthusiastic and deeply moved audience. It was also my first time experiencing the 130-minute historical epic on the big screen, and as a double immigrant to Canada and later America in the 1980s, the film resonated with me on a profoundly personal level as a double immigrant to Canada and then America. More than a story about the complex and diverse Japanese American communities impacted by internment during and after World War II, the film speaks powerfully to generations of Asian Americans and immigrants navigating identity, displacement, survival, and belonging in North America.
David Kiyoshi Tom (left), Keiko Shimosato Carreiro (middle) and Sarah Kyung Lee (right) spoke about their experience working with director , who shot the film piecemeal between 2020 and 2023. The entire cast and crew worked for free to bring this sweeping historical epic to life on a shoestring budget of under USD $30,000.
Kintsukuroi streams Tuesday May 19 worldwide exclusively on AAM.tv
