“Tadaima”

“Tadaima” (2015, 15 min.) by Robin D’Oench. George, Akiko, Kaori, and Kazuo return to their former house in the summer of 1945, following the end of WWII and the closure of the Japanese American concentration camps. Arriving home, they find the house ransacked by vandals and in a state of disrepair. Emotions flair and each individual member of the family react differently to the homecoming. As the day draws to a close, there is a glimmer of hope that the future holds better days.

Plays in

Narrative Shorts

The narrative shorts allow us to step back in time — creating a visceral experience of the sparse living quarters and barren desert, capturing the camaraderie and fractures that develop, and drawing us into the emotions of the characters. It is encouraging to see younger filmmakers remain connected to the stories of their ancestors.