Film Sheds Light on WWII incarceration, Indigenous Relations at Culver City Film Festival
CULVER CITY, CA - December 4, 2023 – The Culver City Film Festival will host a screening of “The Blue Jay” this Friday, December 5th, at 4 p.m. at the Culver Theater,located at 9500 Culver Blvd. The 2023 film explores a unique and often overlooked intersection of history: the incarceration of japanese Americans during World War II on Indigenous lands, and the resulting relationships forged within that complex context.
“The Blue Jay” centers on an unlikely friendship between a Japanese American police chief and a member of the Mohave Indian tribe, set against the backdrop of a WWII incarceration camp built on a Native american reservation. The film stars Lee Shorten, Ajuawak Kapashesit, Ayako Karasawa, and Chris Tashima.
Writer and director Marlene Shigekawa, also the film’s producer, has dedicated much of her career to preserving the stories of this era. She previously produced the documentary “For the Sake of the Children,” which screened across the U.S. and Canada, and currently serves as executive director of the Poston Community Alliance, a nonprofit focused on the legacy of the Poston incarceration camp in Arizona.
Shigekawa’s commitment to sharing these narratives extends to her published works, including children’s books “Blue Jay in the desert” and “Welcome Home Swallows,” which draw from her family’s own experiences with incarceration. She is also the author of “Succeeding in High Tech: A Guide to Building Your Career,” reflecting her professional background in Silicon Valley.
Shigekawa holds a B.A. in English from UC Riverside and an M.S. in counseling from CSU East Bay.
Tickets for the screening are available for purchase at the door or online at https://www.culvercityfilmfestival.com. Inquiries can be directed to marshigproductions@gmail.com.
