September 10, 2021

In this episode, I speak with director, producer, and writer Ann Kaneko and producer Jin Yoo-Kim about their latest project, Manzanar: Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust. We chat about Ann’s very impressive matchmaking skills, their work on K-Town ‘92 and their reflections of the 1992 Rebellion, and how they successfully weaved the stories of environmentalism, the Indigenous, and Japanese-Americans into a beautiful tapestry. This episode’s song is classic, “We are the Children” by Chris Iijima, Nobuko Miyamoto, and "Charlie" Chin. The song was one of the first bits of artistry that defined the Asian-American identity. And the chorus is a call for all of us to unapologetically embrace every aspect of our beings. It reads, Sing a song for ourselves, What have we got to lose, Sing a song for ourselves We’ve got the right to choose.”

Photo Credit: Todd Gray

[Image Description: Ann is pictured from the chest up. She wears a black, long-sleeved top and a gold necklace. Her black hair is cut into a short bob and her head is titled slightly to the side. She looks to the camera as she stands against a beige and white blurred background.]

Photo Credit: Jin Yoo-Kim

[Image Description: Jin is pictured from the chest up. She wears bright red lipstick and has shoulder lengthed black hair. She wears a graphic print shirt that has a black background with swirly, multi-colored shapes. She stands against a white background in front of some foliage.]

Film Still: Manzanar Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust

Ann’s Bio

ANN KANEKO (director/producer/writer) is known for her personal films that weave her intimate aesthetic with the complex intricacies of political reality. She is an Emmy winner, and her work has screened internationally and been broadcast on PBS Independent Lens and the Newshour. She has been commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Endowment, and the Skirball Cultural Center. Her films include A FLICKER IN ETERNITY, based on the diary and letters of Stanley Hayami; AGAINST THE GRAIN: AN ARTIST’S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO PERU, highlighting Peruvian political artists under ex-President Alberto Fujimori; 100% HUMAN HAIR, a musical set in a Korean-owned wig shop for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and OVERSTAY, about undocumented foreign workers in Japan. Fluent in Japanese and Spanish, Kaneko has been a Fulbright and Japan Foundation Artist fellow and been funded by JustFilms/Ford, VisionMaker Media, CAAM, among others. She is a 2020 Film Independent Doc Lab fellow and participated in the 2020 Big Sky Pitch. She is a member of New Day Films, an educational distribution cooperative. She has an MFA from UCLA in film directing, teaches at Pitzer College, and is the artist mentor for VC’s Armed with a Camera Fellowship.

Jin’s Bio

JIN YOO-KIM is a Korean Bolivian American filmmaker currently producing MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST, a feature documentary exploring California water issues through the eyes of Native American, Japanese American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists. She co-produced A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM, and K-TOWN ’92. Jin served as the digital engagement impact producer for WAKING DREAM, and was the LA theatrical impact producer for BLOWIN’ UP. She directed a short film as part of the A-Doc #AsianAmCovidStories called SPAMFIGHT! and is currently developing a food docuseries and co-writing a feature comedy. She is a 2020-2021 Sundance Creative Producers Fellow, a 2020 Film Independent X CNN Original Series Docuseries Intensive Fellow, a 2020 Film Independent Doc Lab fellow, and was a 2017 Firelight Media Impact Producing Fellow. She received her MFA in Film & TV Production from USC and a BA in Psychology and Cinema & Media Studies from Wellesley College.

About K-Town ‘92 // Director’s Statement by Grace Lee

When the LA riots/uprising/civil unrest exploded in 1992, images of destruction beamed across the globe with little context as to why these events had occurred. TV news focused on African Americans, Latinos, and Koreans as both victims and perpetrators of violence, and footage of the “first multicultural riots” locked each group within a stereotype. As a Korean American, these images profoundly shaped my understanding of race in America and the need for people of color to tell our own stories. We hope K-TOWN‘92 offers a path to better understand Los Angeles before and after 1992. We intend to expand the archive of stories moving forward.

About Manzanar Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust

From the majestic peaks of the snow-capped Sierras to the parched valley of Payahuunadü, “the land of flowing water,” MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST poetically weaves together memories of intergenerational women. Native Americans, Japanese-American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists form an unexpected alliance to defend their land and water from Los Angeles.