Join the Esquire Theatre for a very special event showing of NAMBA: A Japanese American’s Incarceration and Life of Resilience. Sponsored by The Japan American Society of Greater Cincinnati and OPAWL, the evening will include an introduction and Post-film Q&A with Director Emily Hanako Momohara.

Synopsis: NAMBA tells the American story of May Namba, born in 1922 to Japanese immigrants. During WWII, 125,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated, including the Namba family. May’s granddaughter, Miyako, narrates and guides us through her grandmother’s experiences living
at Minidoka. Miyako packs a suitcase heart-wrenchingly contemplating the most important belongings to bring to the prison camp. She makes a mattress out of hay and lays down in a horse stall to use as a bed, just as her grandmother did. Throughout the film May and Miyako share this complex history—the injustice and love of country—that’s rarely discussed in history books.

“The life and wisdom of a humble but storied local educator and activist is displayed in this touching and thoughtful short documentary. Artfully crafted as a conversation between the generations, this film shines a light on the heart, grace, and no-frills attitude of May Namba, while providing an honest and frank discussion on the impacts of Japanese American incarceration.” – Seattle Asian American Film Festival

Bio: Emily Hanako Momohara is a filmmaker and artist based in Cincinnati OH. Her work centers around issues of heritage, multiculturalism, immigration and social justice. Namba: a Japanese American’s Life of Incarceration and Resilience is Momohara’s first documentary film. She has exhibited her artwork internationally, most notably at the Japanese American National Museum in a two-person show titled Sugar|Islands and Chongqing Photography and Video Biennial in China. Momohara has created socially driven billboards for For Freedoms and United Photo Industries. She is Professor of Studio Art at the Art Academy of Cincinnati where she heads the Photography Major.