On Saturday, June 24, 7PM, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Gardena will host a special screening of the award-winning documentary "Okinawa: The Afterburn" (Urizun no Ame). Academy Award-nominated director John Junkerman will be in attendance for a Q&A.

The 2-hour documentary is equally educational, poignant, and shocking. Split into four parts, Junkerman covers World War II's devastating Battle of Okinawa in 1945, the U.S. military occupation of Okinawa, the trauma and complexities of war and occupation, and the ongoing protests against the bases that still operate on the islands.

Most impressive is the vast scope of the film: the director approaches each topic from all possible angles, interviewing Okinawan civilians who survived the war, former U.S. and Japanese military servicemen, organizers, reporters, and professors. These firsthand accounts provide comprehensive insight into the history and current status of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, and the many complexities that come with it.

Junkerman’s goal with this screening (and others planned in the U.S.) is to “convey the reality of Okinawa to the American public and the wider world, which [...] remains still today largely ignorant of that reality.” He continues: “The Okinawan people are not going to give up. But I don’t think, in the end, it is the Okinawans who are responsible for putting an end to the treatment of their islands as the ‘spoils of war.’ That responsibility lies with the American people, and with the Japanese people. Whether we will bear that responsibility or not is the challenge that is posed for us.”

The OAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and perpetuate Okinawan culture in the greater Los Angeles area. The organization is pleased to sponsor this thought-provoking documentary as a way to teach about this tragic history as well as provide insight into some of the current issues that Okinawa faces.

Admission is FREE for current OAA members and $5 for the public. Due to limited space and parking, priority seating will be given to those who RSVP by June 21: 310-532-1929, oaamensore@gmail.com. The OAA Center is located at 16500 S. Western Ave.

For those that cannot make this event, the OAA will be sponsoring a second event (screening only) on Tuesday, June 27th, 5:30PM at the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library in Torrance (3301 Torrance Blvd, in the Civic Center Library Meeting Room). Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Space is limited.

WATCH THE TRAILER: http://okinawa-afterburn.com/trailer.html