Living Arrangements
The award-winning documentary "Great Grandfather's Drum" celebrates Japanese-American culture and history in Hawai'i. It is an inspiring century-long story of struggle and success in the greatest Amer…
Living Arrangements
The award-winning documentary "Great Grandfather's Drum" celebrates Japanese-American culture and history in Hawai'i. It is an inspiring century-long story of struggle and success in the greatest American tradition, of labor on Hawaii's sugar plantations, patriotic heroism during World War II, and helping to create statehood for Hawai'i. The story unfolds through an intimate and joyful portrait of Maui Taiko, a contemporary Japanese-American drum ensemble, descendants of plantation workers, and as told by elders who lived this history. Kay Fukumoto and her family formed Maui Taiko to continue the tradition of Obon Taiko music brought to Hawai'i from Fukushima, Japan by her great grandfather and others a century ago. These families handed down taiko traditions through five generations in Hawai'i. The film includes Maui Taiko's dynamic performances on the giant drums, and we travel with the members of the ensemble on a heartfelt journey back to Fukushima to seek their ancestral roots. Americans of Japanese ancestry are one of the largest ethnic groups in Hawai'i. The film was first broadcast on PBS Hawai'i, it was named an Official Selection at the 2011 Yamagata Film Festival in Japan (the largest documentary film festival in Asia), at the 2012 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, and has been honored with a 2011 Telly Award and 2011 Aurora Award. Shortly after the film was released a major earthquake and tsunami affected Fukushima, and the film was screened in the US to raise funds to help with recovery efforts. —Cal Lewin
Living Arrangements
Comedy,Drama,Horror
Film Details
The award-winning documentary "Great Grandfather's Drum" celebrates Japanese-American culture and history in Hawai'i. It is an inspiring century-long story of struggle and success in the greatest American tradition, of labor on Hawaii's sugar plantations, patriotic heroism during World War II, and helping to create statehood for Hawai'i. The story unfolds through an intimate and joyful portrait of Maui Taiko, a contemporary Japanese-American drum ensemble, descendants of plantation workers, and as told by elders who lived this history.
Kay Fukumoto and her family formed Maui Taiko to continue the tradition of Obon Taiko music brought to Hawai'i from Fukushima, Japan by her great grandfather and others a century ago. These families handed down taiko traditions through five generations in Hawai'i. The film includes Maui Taiko's dynamic performances on the giant drums, and we travel with the members of the ensemble on a heartfelt journey back to Fukushima to seek their ancestral roots.
Americans of Japanese ancestry are one of the largest ethnic groups in Hawai'i. The film was first broadcast on PBS Hawai'i, it was named an Official Selection at the 2011 Yamagata Film Festival in Japan (the largest documentary film festival in Asia), at the 2012 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, and has been honored with a 2011 Telly Award and 2011 Aurora Award. Shortly after the film was released a major earthquake and tsunami affected Fukushima, and the film was screened in the US to raise funds to help with recovery efforts.
—Cal Lewin.