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February 2015, Week 1

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From:
TWN Distribution <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 5 Feb 2015 14:06:43 -0500
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​*Third World Newsreel is pleased to release HAFU: THE MIXED-RACE
EXPERIENCE IN JAPAN*

*"It is a heartfelt and deeply human effort to encourage Japan to be an
openly multicultural society."*
*Rob Schwarz, Metropolis*

*"The film documents the often painful processes of soul-searching and the
thoughtful, inspiring, and courageous actions of hafu individuals... The
strength of the film lies... in highlighting the energy and insights of
these individuals as they seek ways out of their pain and build on their
own suffering to create better experiences for future generations."*
*Neriko Musha Doerr, Critical Asian Studies*

HAFU is the unfolding journey of discovery into the intricacies of
mixed-race Japanese and their multicultural experience in modern day Japan.
The film follows the lives of five "hafus"-the Japanese term for people who
are half-Japanese-as they explore what it means to be multiracial and
multicultural in a nation that once proudly proclaimed itself as the
mono-ethnic nation. For some of these hafus Japan is the only home they
know, for some living in Japan is an entirely new experience, and others
are caught somewhere between two different worlds.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, one in
forty-nine babies born in Japan today are born into families with one
non-Japanese parent. This newly emerging minority in Japan is
under-documented and under-explored in both literature and media. HAFU -
THE MIXED-RACE EXPERIENCE IN JAPAN seeks to open this increasingly
important dialogue. The film explores race, diversity, multiculturalism,
nationality, and identity within the mixed-race community of Japan. And
through this exploration, it seeks to answer the following questions: What
does it mean to be hafu?; What does it mean to be Japanese?; and
ultimately, What does all of this mean for Japan?

Narrated by the hafus themselves, along with candid interviews and cinéma
vérité footage, the viewer is guided through a myriad of hafu experiences
that are influenced by upbringing, family relationships, education, and
even physical appearance. As the film interweaves five unique life stories,
audiences discover the depth and diversity of hafu personal identities.

HAFU, winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Philadelphia Asian
American Film Festival, is available from Third World Newsreel for
educational purchase on DVD & Digital File combo. To facilitate discussion
in classrooms, a study guide is included with educational purchases. Filmmakers
Megumi Nishikura and Lara Perez Takagi are available for speaking
engagements and workshops.

*"An intelligent and insightful exploration of five stories of "hafus"
living in Japan... Each story quietly delivers keen observation on
identity, relationships, and the changing nature of the mixed race
experience in Japan... This film is a welcome addition to teaching
materials about contemporary Japanese culture, cultural identity, and
global culture for high school and college classrooms."*
*Elizabeth Oyler, Asian Educational Media Service*

*Megumi Nishikura & Lara Perez Takagi | 2013 | 85 min *
Higher Education Institutions (DVD & Digital File): $300

*Buy Educational Copy
<http://www.twn.org/catalog/pages/cpage.aspx?rec=1421&card=price>*
*Watch Trailer* <http://vimeo.com/71153390> & *Japan Is Changing
Infographics <http://vimeo.com/48988439>*
*Download Study Guide
<http://twn.org/catalog/guides/Hafu_DiscussionGuide.pdf>*

*Awards*
 Best Documentary, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

*Screenings*

World Premiere, Hapa Japan Festival, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film Festival
The New Orleans Loving Festival

Asian American International Film Festival, New York
DC Asia Pacific Film

Japan Film Festival, Irvine

San Diego Asian Film Festival

Vancouver Asian Film Festival

Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Amnesty International Film Festival, Japan

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