Documentaries
This short documentary integrates the history of Japanese American incarceration into an intimate portrait of a 120-year-old mochigashi store in downtown LA, whose story of survival runs through the heart of the Japanese American experience.
“We had to live the American Dream twice.” Fugetsu-Do is more than a little candy store; since 1903 it has been an anchor for the Japanese-American community in Little Tokyo and its history is emblematic of the immigrant experience in America. It hasn’t been easy and yet, as its owner Brian Kito says, “the shop itself has an overwhelming desire to exist - it wants to survive.” The ingredients of the brightly-colored pieces of mochi-gashi that line Fugetsu-Do's wood-paneled cases include so much more than rice flour and sweet bean paste. Mixed inside are stories of joy and pain, tradition and racism, legacy and loss. Survival is never easy; it’s complicated and messy, full of contradictions and surprises. In the three generations that the Kito Family has been running Fugetsu-Do, the store has become a memory bank for the community and the stories that line its walls could not be more relevant in today's America.
Directed and produced by Kaia Rose, FUGETSU-DO is an award-winning short documentary (12mins 31 secs) that premiered at Boston Asian-American Film Festival in October 2020 and has since screened at over 80 festivals globally, picking up over 20 awards - if you’re interested in a screening, please get in touch. The film features Brian Kito, 3rd generation owner of the Fugetsu-Do sweet shop, and was filmed on location in Little Tokyo and at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Wyoming. Shot on a RED camera with cinematography by Eric Mann, it was edited by Kaia Rose, colored by Michele Zarbafian, composited by Dominic Pitt, with sound design and mixing by Jasmin Klinger. With big thanks to our fiscal sponsor Craft Film Society, the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, and the Japanese American National Museum, whose archive collection was invaluable. Online distribution currently managed by EST Media and Global Cinema Online.
““Just wow. This film incorporates so much so well in 12 minutes - mochi, family owned business & succession, and Japanese internment. The cinematography juxtaposing old film footage with current day scenes is outstandingly done.””
““This documentary is crafted with impeccable skill and the story it tells has long-lasting power. On all technical levels, this documentary is perfect.””
Awards & Nominations
““Thank you for uplifting this story about the perseverance and resilience of the Kito family. We applaud their commitment to sustaining a sweet and welcoming presence in J-Town, and your commitment to not only recognize the value of their story, but to celebrate it.””
Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Discussion & Film Screening
Watch a recording of the discussion hosted by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation on March 30th with director Kaia Rose and Fugetsu-Do owner Brian Kito, moderated by Julie Abo.
““This short film is sweet, but not saccharine. It doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles of the Kito family, but rather accentuates the way in which they each contributed to the multi-dimensional, heartfelt history of Fugetsu-Do.””
STAMP OUR STORY
For 15 years, three Japanese American women campaigned for a Go For Broke postage stamp to honor the Nisei World War II soldiers, who despite having their freedom taken away served their country with honor and valor.
Every stamp has a story. The resilience and determination of Japanese American World War II soldiers, who were asked to fight for their country despite having their freedom unjustly taken away, embody the best of the American spirit. While remembering their achievements and struggles, this short documentary tells the extraordinary story of how, after 15 years, a grassroots movement led by three elderly Nisei (2nd generation) women overcame all odds to successfully campaign for a Go For Broke stamp.
This award-winning short documentary (18 minutes 50 seconds) premiered in the summer of 2022 with special screenings at the Japanese Information & Culture Center in Washington, DC and the Japanese American Citizens League national conference in Las Vegas. The film is currently traveling around film festivals, please get in touch if you’re interested in a screening. Directed by Kaia Rose & Robert Horsting, edited by Kaia Rose, and produced by Wayne Osako, Robert Horsting, & Kaia Rose in association with the Stamp Our Story committee, the film features and is dedicated to the Nisei founders of the Go For Broke grassroots stamp campaign: Fusako "Fusa" Takahashi, Chizuko “Chiz” Ohira, and Aiko Ogata King. Please visit the Stamp Our Story official website for more information about the campaign and you can buy your commemorative stamp online or at U.S. Post Offices nationwide.
“This film not only highlights the history of the 442nd and the stamp campaign, but it shows elders continuing to lead and make a difference in their communities.”
“Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII” Commemorative Stamp and Stamp Covers, © 2021 United States Postal Service®. The U.S. Postal Service name and the Blue Collection Box are registered trademarks of the U.S. Postal Service. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.
CLIMATE COUNTDOWN
An award-winning web-series that maps out the ecology of climate solutions.
Climate Countdown works out what scientists, activists, policy makers and citizens are actually doing to tackle the problem of climate change. Filmed across a dozen countries (and counting), we examine different facets of this complex issue and break it down into bite-sized bits. With 15 episodes in season 1 and 18 film festivals under our belt, we are currently in production on season 2, which has already won awards at five festivals.
Post-its
Alongside full Climate Countdown episodes, we released 'post-it' sized episodes that synthesized information on a specific topic or from a certain interview into a 30sec to 1min shareable digestible clip. One of our mottos for Climate Countdown was, if you can put it on a post-it, then anyone can understand it!
