{"id":"Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free (film)","doctype":"articles","links":{"html":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/Lawson%20Fusao%20Inada:%20What%20It%20Means%20to%20Be%20Free%20(film)/","json":"https://resourceguide.densho.org/api/3.0/articles/Lawson%20Fusao%20Inada:%20What%20It%20Means%20to%20Be%20Free%20(film)/"},"title_sort":"lawsonfusaoinadawhatitmeanstobefreefilm","description":"Documentary film featuring poet\n \n Lawson Fusao Inada\n \n . In the film, Inada reads ten of his poems, while also providing brief introductions or background information on each of them. The filmmakers incorporate archival and contemporary footage—including visits by Inada to\n \n Tule Lake\n \n , the site of the\n \n Fresno Assembly Center\n \n , and\n \n Japanese American Historical Plaza\n \n in Portland, Oregon—as well as archival and family photographs into the readings.","rg_rgmediatype":["films"],"mediatype_label":"Films and Video","mediatype_icon":"fa-film","rg_interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"rg_genre":["Documentary"],"rg_theme":["Expression through art","Importance of community","Power of words"],"rg_availability":["Limited availability"],"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":"Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free (film)","published_rg":true,"modified":"2025-07-23T23:35:46","databoxes":{"rgdatabox-Core":{"rgmediatype":["films"],"title":["Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free"],"creators":[],"interestlevel":["Grades 9-12","Adult"],"readinglevel":[],"guidedreadinglevel":[],"lexile":[],"theme":["Expression through art","Importance of community","Power of words"],"genre":["Documentary"],"pov":["Told mostly in first person voice of Sansei poet"],"relatedevents":[],"availability":["Limited availability"],"freewebversion":["No"],"primarysecondary":[],"hasteachingaids":["No"],"warnings":[],"denshotopic":[],"geography":["Ashland, Oregon"],"chronology":["1970s"],"facility":["Tule Lake [10] - Newell, California","Fresno [21] - Fresno, California"]},"databox-Films":{"title":["Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free"],"date":["2001"],"genre":[],"released":[],"director":["Michael Markee","Vincent Wixon"],"producer":["Michael Markee","Vincent Wixon"],"writer":[],"screenplay":[],"story":[],"basedon":[],"narrator":[],"starring":[],"music":["Todd Barton"],"cinematography":["Michael Markee"],"editing":["Michael Markee","Vincent Wixon"],"studio":[],"distributor":[],"runtime":["23 minutes"],"country":[],"language":[],"budget":[],"gross":[],"imdblink":[],"trailerlink":[]}},"rg_title":["Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free"],"rg_pov":["Told mostly in first person voice of Sansei poet"],"rg_freewebversion":["No"],"rg_geography":["Ashland, Oregon"],"rg_chronology":["1970s"],"rg_hasteachingaids":["No"],"body":"
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\n Title:Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free;\nDate:2001; \nGenre:;\nReleased:;\nDirector:Michael Markee; Vincent Wixon;\nProducer:Michael Markee; Vincent Wixon;\nWriter:;\nScreenplay:;\nStory:;\nBasedOn:;\nNarrator:;\nStarring:;\nMusic:Todd Barton;\nCinematography:Michael Markee;\nEditing:Michael Markee; Vincent Wixon;\nStudio:;\nDistributor:;\nRuntime:23 minutes;\nCountry:;\nLanguage:;\nBudget:;\nGross:;\nIMDBLink:;\nTrailerLink:;\n

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\n RGMediaType:films;\nTitle:Lawson Fusao Inada: What It Means to Be Free;\nCreators:;\nInterestLevel:Grades 9-12; Adult;\nReadingLevel:;\nGuidedReadingLevel:;\nLexile:;\nTheme:Expression through art; Importance of community; Power of words;\nGenre:Documentary;\nPoV:Told mostly in first person voice of Sansei poet;\nRelatedEvents:;\nAvailability:Limited availability;\nFreeWebVersion:No;\nPrimarySecondary:;\nHasTeachingAids:No;\nWarnings:;\nDenshoTopic:;\nGeography:Ashland, Oregon;\nChronology:1970s;\nFacility:Tule Lake [10] - Newell, California; Fresno [21] - Fresno, California;\n

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\n Documentary film featuring poet\n \n Lawson Fusao Inada\n \n . In the film, Inada reads ten of his poems, while also providing brief introductions or background information on each of them. The filmmakers incorporate archival and contemporary footage—including visits by Inada to\n \n Tule Lake\n \n , the site of the\n \n Fresno Assembly Center\n \n , and\n \n Japanese American Historical Plaza\n \n in Portland, Oregon—as well as archival and family photographs into the readings.\n

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\n The poems read include nine from Inada's 1993 collection\n \n Legends from Camp\n \n (\"Concentration Constellation,\" \"The Fresno Assembly Center,\" \"The Legend of Lost Boy,\" \"The Legend of Home,\" \"The Legend of Bad Boy,\" \"The Legend of Targets,\" \"The Legend of Burning the World,\" \"Poems In Stone,\" and \"At the Stronghold\") and one from the 1997 collection\n \n drawing the line\n \n (\"Denver Union Station\").\n

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\n The DVD release is accompanied by a Viewer's Guide that includes historical background on the Japanese American incarceration, a biography of Inada, text and analysis of two of the poems, additional resources, and exercises and activities.\n

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\n The film was produced, directed and edited by Michael Markee and Vincent Wixon for Ashland, Oregon, based TTTD Productions.\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 Why is Preparing Fish a Political Act?\n \n \n (1991);\n \n \n I Told You So\n \n \n (1974);\n \n \n Mitsuye and Nellie: Asian American Poets\n \n \n (1981)\n

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