{"id":"A Song for Manzanar (film)","doctype":"articles","links":{"html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/A%20Song%20for%20Manzanar%20(film)/","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/articles/A%20Song%20for%20Manzanar%20(film)/"},"title_sort":"asongformanzanarfilm","description":"Dramatic narrative short film directed by Phil Emerson and Kazuko Golden centering on Sachie and Hiroko, two sisters we first meet in Hiroshima as Sachie, the elder, prepares to leave for the U.S. A few years later, Sachie is incarcerated in\n \n Manzanar\n \n with her husband Yoshizo and two young children and struggles to communicate with Hiroko, who remains in Hiroshima. Her efforts to enlist the help of a guard to send and receive letters to Japan is juxtaposed with Yoshizo's efforts to get the family\n \n released to Chicago\n \n .","rg_rgmediatype":["films"],"mediatype_label":"Films and Video","mediatype_icon":"fa-film","rg_interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"rg_genre":["Drama"],"rg_theme":["Displacement","Female roles"],"rg_availability":["Widely available"],"categories":[{"title":"Arts"}],"topics":[],"authors":[{"title":"Brian Niiya","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/authors/Brian%20Niiya/","html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/authors/Brian%20Niiya/"}],"sources":[],"title":"A Song for Manzanar (film)","published_rg":true,"modified":"2025-07-08T22:59:30","databoxes":{"rgdatabox-Core":{"rgmediatype":["films"],"title":["A Song for Manzanar"],"creators":[],"interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"readinglevel":[],"guidedreadinglevel":[],"lexile":[],"theme":["Displacement","Female roles"],"genre":["Drama"],"pov":["told from perspective of young Nisei woman in Manzanar"],"relatedevents":[],"availability":["Widely available"],"freewebversion":["No"],"primarysecondary":[],"hasteachingaids":["No"],"warnings":[],"denshotopic":[],"geography":[],"chronology":["1920s and 1940s"],"facility":["Manzanar [7] - Manzanar, California"]},"databox-Films":{"title":["A Song for Manzanar"],"date":["2014"],"genre":["Drama"],"released":[],"director":["Phil Emerson","Kazuko Golden"],"producer":["Kazuko Golden"],"writer":[],"screenplay":["Phil Emerson","Zach Mehrbach","Josh Garvin"],"story":[],"basedon":["Tales from a Willow Tree by Yosh Golden"],"narrator":[],"starring":["Emmie Nagata (Sachie)","Shiori Ideta (Hiroko)","Derek Mio (Yoshizo)","Derek Magcase (Johnny)","Aaron Goddard (Soldier Sam)","Malia Mo (Young Sachie, age 10)","Maki Hsieh (Minae)","Chelsea Liu","Kotomi Miyashiro (Young Sachie, age 5)","Momoka Miyashiro (Young Hiroko, age 3)","Cheyenne Liu (Young Hiroko, age 8)","Braxton Davis (Officer Frank)","Toya Sana'vi Stone (Baby Yosh)","Hiroko Imai (Yumiko)"],"music":["Marisa Kosugi","Scott Nagatani","Tyler Koontz","Stephen Mitchell"],"cinematography":["Ben Burke"],"editing":["Brett Martinson","Jason Becker"],"studio":["Golden Syndicate Productions"],"distributor":[],"runtime":["16 minutes"],"country":[],"language":[],"budget":[],"gross":[],"imdblink":["https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3881714/"],"trailerlink":[]}},"rg_title":["A Song for Manzanar"],"rg_pov":["told from perspective of young Nisei woman in Manzanar"],"rg_freewebversion":["No"],"rg_chronology":["1920s and 1940s"],"rg_hasteachingaids":["No"],"body":"
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\n Title:A Song for Manzanar;\nDate:2014; \nGenre:Drama;\nReleased:;\nDirector:Phil Emerson; Kazuko Golden;\nProducer:Kazuko Golden;\nWriter:;\nScreenplay:Phil Emerson; Zach Mehrbach; Josh Garvin;\nStory:;\nBasedOn:\n \n Tales from a Willow Tree\n \n by Yosh Golden;\nNarrator:;\nStarring:Emmie Nagata (Sachie); Shiori Ideta (Hiroko); Derek Mio (Yoshizo); Derek Magcase (Johnny); Aaron Goddard (Soldier Sam); Malia Mo (Young Sachie, age 10); Maki Hsieh (Minae); Chelsea Liu; Kotomi Miyashiro (Young Sachie, age 5); Momoka Miyashiro (Young Hiroko, age 3); Cheyenne Liu (Young Hiroko, age 8); Braxton Davis (Officer Frank); Toya Sana'vi Stone (Baby Yosh); Hiroko Imai (Yumiko);\nMusic:Marisa Kosugi; Scott Nagatani; Tyler Koontz; Stephen Mitchell;\nCinematography:Ben Burke;\nEditing:Brett Martinson; Jason Becker;\nStudio:Golden Syndicate Productions;\nDistributor:;\nRuntime:16 minutes;\nCountry:;\nLanguage:;\nBudget:;\nGross:;\nIMDBLink:\n \n https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3881714/\n \n ;\nTrailerLink:;\n

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\n RGMediaType:films;\nTitle:A Song for Manzanar;\nCreators:;\nInterestLevel:Grades 9-12; Adult;\nReadingLevel:;\nGuidedReadingLevel:;\nLexile:;\nTheme:Displacement; Female roles;\nGenre:Drama;\nPoV:told from perspective of young Nisei woman in Manzanar;\nRelatedEvents:;\nAvailability:Widely available;\nFreeWebVersion:No;\nPrimarySecondary:;\nHasTeachingAids:No;\nWarnings:;\nDenshoTopic:;\nGeography:;\nChronology:1920s and 1940s;\nFacility:Manzanar [7] - Manzanar, California;\n

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\n Dramatic narrative short film directed by Phil Emerson and Kazuko Golden centering on Sachie and Hiroko, two sisters we first meet in Hiroshima as Sachie, the elder, prepares to leave for the U.S. A few years later, Sachie is incarcerated in\n \n Manzanar\n \n with her husband Yoshizo and two young children and struggles to communicate with Hiroko, who remains in Hiroshima. Her efforts to enlist the help of a guard to send and receive letters to Japan is juxtaposed with Yoshizo's efforts to get the family\n \n released to Chicago\n \n .\n

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\n The story is based on Golden's grandmother's story and a novel in progress by Yosh Golden, her mother. It was filmed in part at the Manzanar site.\n

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\n \n Authored by\n \n Brian Niiya\n \n , Densho\n \n
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\n Niiya, Brian\n
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\n Might also like\n \n \n Resettled Roots: Legacies of Japanese Americans in Chicago\n \n \n 2019;\n \n \n Half Kenneth\n \n \n (2008);\n \n \n A Crossroad Called Manzanar\n \n \n (2010)\n

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\n \n For More Information\n \n

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\n Filmmaker website:\n \n https://www.kazukogolden.com/\n \n

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