Seagrass (followed by panel discussion)

Judith, a Japanese Canadian woman, and her reluctant white husband attend a week-long couple’s retreat on a coastal British Columbia island, their two daughters in tow. With Judith grieving the recent loss of her mother, and her connection to her Japanese Canadian identity, the couple’s disconnect grows as she finds herself infatuated with another, seemingly perfect, interracial couple at the retreat. The parents’ rift impresses upon their daughters, as Emmy, the fearful younger sister, becomes increasingly anxious, while the eldest, Stephanie, cautiously navigates the preteen social dynamics of day camp. Set in the mid-90s and shot on 35 mm film, Meredith Hama-Brown’s tense, layered family drama is a nuanced look into the legacy of Japanese Canadian internment and how trauma weaves through generations in silences, detachment, and ambiguity

Please join us for a panel discussion following the event featuring Kerri Sakamoto, Dr. Lara Okihiro, and Kristofer Sakamoto-Marshall. The panel is moderated by Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi.

Panelist Bios

Kerri Sakamoto (panelist) is an award-winning author whose books have been translated into numerous languages and published internationally. As a screenwriter and story editor, Kerri has worked with acclaimed filmmakers on features and shorts shown at festivals such as Venice, Sundance, and Tribeca. She is presently completing a fourth novel.

Dr. Lara Okihiro (panelist) has lectured and published internationally on literature, the Japanese Canadian internment, social justice, memory, trauma, and education. The co-author of Obaasan’s Boots based on her family’s experience of being uprooted, incarcerated, and dispossessed, she is currently completing another book entitled Lost Objects: Literature and the Dispossession of Incarcerated Nikkei. 

Kristofer Sakamoto-Marshall (panelist) is a mixed-race yonsei, born and raised in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. As a board member of the Toronto NAJC, Gallery Director, and entrepreneur of the arts platform, The New Other, he focuses on bringing Japanese Canadian, Japanese recent immigrants, and diverse Torontonians together to spark dialogue and build community.

Lynn Deutscher Kobayashi (moderator) is an intergenerational connector, passionate about community building and the enriching relationships that develop when working towards meaningful causes. She is a third generation (sansei) Japanese Canadian and president of the Greater Toronto Chapter, National Association of Japanese Canadians (Toronto NAJC).  

Trailer

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