DVD Old Man River

Written and performed by Cynthia Gates Fujikawa; Directed, photographed and edited by Allan Holzman. This documentary feature film tells the story of a daughter trying to know her stoic Nisei father years after his death. In a stirring collage of moving and still images, Fujikawa’s one-woman performance creates a portrait of her father, Jerry Fujikawa, a character actor who played every imaginable Asian stereotype in movies like Chinatown and television shows like M*A*S*H. Winner of many awards, this film unfolds a mystery that brings the author face to face with American racism, the incarceration of the Japanese Americans during World War II, and a surprise ending that will move the viewer to tears.  The DVD also contains a bonus short called “Day of Remembrance”, a documentary produced and directed by Cynthia Gates Fujikawa. The short compares the incarceration of the Japanese Americans with the post 9-11 plight of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. today. Running time: 73 min./Color