Based on stories from their grandfather, Nisei follows the journey of two Japanese-American brothers during World War II, Minoru and John Miyasaki. Stripped of their citizenship and placed in internment camps, they volunteer for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all Japanese-American unit that sacrificed everything, to prove their loyalty to a country that doesn’t want them. Torn between country and family, they must face the enemy overseas along with adversity back home.
Q: What inspired you to start making films?
My inspiration to make films came from my father. He had a huge LaserDisc collection when I was a kid and some of my fondest memories are of us sitting down and watching something. He taught me the importance of storytelling and the power a film can hold. It wasn’t just watching to escape, it was a way to challenge myself, to ask hard questions, and to face unpleasant truths. Now, as a filmmaker, I hope to channel the same values and morals that he taught me from the first time I sat down to watch a film.
Q: Were there any challenges in making this project?
Our film is a period piece, so right away there were a lot of logistical challenges. Finding a 1940s bus, locations, WWII uniforms, and period-correct weapons was ambitious to fit within our small budget. The biggest thing was to understand that we are never going to get things 100% right. However, it was our responsibility to put in good effort and research to justly portray this time period to the best of our abilities, with the resources we had.
Q: Is there any type of message or emotion that you hope the viewer takes away from watching this film?
I hope when people watch our film, that they will feel a sense of pride. That even through adversity, good people can still prevail. It is important to look at these stories of the past and learn from them. Understanding the past means we won’t make the same mistakes in the future.
Q: How does it feel to be able to screen the film at HollyShorts?
It’s an honor to be selected to HollyShorts and screen at the legendary Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Being among other films of all top quality is such a huge achievement.
Q: What’s on the horizon for you?
We are just starting the festival circuit with ‘Nisei’ and hope to continue our momentum. I will also be starting production in the winter on a low-budget feature film, producing it with Jessica Olthof (Producer of Nisei). The film is called ‘Surrender’, starring Andrea Bang from Kim’s Convenience. Our goal after that is to focus on ‘Nisei’ the feature film along with a few other scripts we have developed.
A thank you goes out to Darren for the talk. You can see their film and many others at the HollyShorts Film Festival, which runs from August 10th-19th in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theater. Tickets for the festival, as well as the screening schedule, can be found here. They can also be viewed digitally, with tickets available on BitPix.
BITPIX TV News 