The Emmy Award-winning documentary, From a Silk Cocoon, will be broadcast in various PBS markets during the month of February in commemoration of Day/Time of Remembrance. The following are a few of the scheduled broadcasts:
February 22, 4am, WNED Buffalo NY
February 22, 2007, 10pm, on KSCM San Francisco Oakland San Jose CA
February 23, 2007, 9pm, on WPBY Charleston Huntington WV
February 23, 2007, 9pm, on WSWP Bluefield Beckley Oak Hill WV
February 23, 2007, 9pm, on WNPB Clarksburg Weston WV
February 26, 4am, WNED Buffalo NY
The documentary, From a Silk Cocoon, which has won several noteworthy awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement, Historical/Cultural Program (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, San Francisco/Northern California Chapter), will be broadcast on PBS this February! Please stay tuned to our Web site, www.fromasilkcocoon.com for the most up-to-date listing of broadcast venues.
Would you like to see From a Silk Cocoon on your local PBS station? All program scheduling decisions are made locally, so feel free to click here to contact your local PBS station to provide your comments and suggestions. Now would be a great time, as we are hoping to have many more PBS broadcasts during the month of May (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month). Thanks very much!
From a Silk Cocoon is also available for purchase on DVD and VHS tape. Prices are as follows (includes domestic shipping):
$40 for home use only (no public performance license included)
$225 for college/institutional use
Order forms can be downloaded and printed from www.fromasilkcocoon.com, or feel free to request a form via email or fax, kimina@fromasilkcocoon.com, (415) 566-3487. Check or money order payments, made out to APCC/From a Silk Cocoon, can be mailed to:
Hesono O Productions
2716 X Street
Sacramento CA 95818
(Please visit our Web site for information on credit card orders.)
Other awards received by the From a Silk Cocoon Documentary and crew include a Silver Telly Award for Outstanding Documentary Program (2006), a Bronze Telly Award for Outstanding Cultural Program (2006), Best Director Award (Documentary) from the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (November 2005), and “Grand Festival Award” from the Berkeley Video & Film Festival (October 2005).
The discovery of a small metal box leads to the uncovering of a family story, shrouded in silence for more than 60 years. Woven through their censored letters, diary entries, and haiku poetry, is the true story of a young Japanese American couple whose shattered dreams and forsaken loyalties lead them to renounce their American citizenship while held in separate prison camps during World War II. They struggle to prove their innocence and fight deportation during a time of wartime hysteria and racial profiling.
Lawson Inada narrates, Lane Nishikawa and Megumi provide the voices of the young couple, and Masayuki Koga’s original shakuhachi (bamboo flute) composition is woven within Fred Meggs' musical score. From a Silk Cocoon is produced by the Hesono O Production team of Satsuki Ina (Executive Director/Co-Director), Stephen Holsapple (Co-Director/Editor), Emery Clay III (Director of Photography/Co-Director), and Kim Ina (Associate Producer/Outreach Coordinator).
". . . offers a cautionary tale of homeland security . . . compelling . . . stretches beyond the basic facts of the Japanese-American internment experience into the dark and thorny corners of "perceived military necessity" that is just as frightening and relevant now as it was when it happened . . . An intimate portrait of a family under siege." Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review. Read complete review here.
“This gripping story of steadfast love and red tape is suspenseful to the end . . .” Frako Loden, San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
“Itaru Ina's powerful, poetic haikus to his wife underscore his loneliness and sense of betrayal by the U.S. government.” Brian Kluepfel, Asian Week
“This film . . . creates a genuine understanding of why and how [Ina's parents] chose to renounce their citizenship. . . . Highly recommended.” Jessica Shomberg, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Educational Media Reviews Online
“. . . disturbing and memorable . . . a unique perspective . . . An intelligent, jolting work . . . highly recommended.” Video Librarian
For more details about the production, visit the From a Silk Cocoon Web site at www.fromasilkcocoon.com. Partial funding for From a Silk Cocoon was provided by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program (CCLPEP) and the Center for Asian American Media (formerly NAATA).