History and Memory: For Akiko and Takashige

Quite honestly, I had no expectations for this movie before I saw it, but I admit that I was pleasantly surprised. This story about a woman's quest to uncover a hidden piece of her history made me re-evaluate the way I think about America's past. I was surprised after I saw the movie how many people were upset that they thought the film hand-fed them the story of the Japanese internment during WWII. In reality, the documentary was a statement of historical fact. The winners write the history, and for many years, American historians have brushed passed this time in our past. Tajiri compiled a history of her family and other internees - documenting their history with the hope that it will be remembered as well. This movie isn't trying to force history on the viewers, but to create a documentation of history where one didn't exist before - and to make sure it is remembered.

An experimental mixture of historical footage and recent video shots

supplement an examination of Japanese internment during WWII that is

essentially made in voice over narration. The creator talks about her struggle to understand the internment through the memories of her mother and other family members. She explores their words as spoken or written by them. She adds

her own comments and uses the historical footage (mostly from military sources) for comparison. While informative and intriguing, the film is rather amateurish and could have been better edited for clarity -- the experimental nature of the filmmaking

precludes the message of understanding at times.