• World Premiere

Spotlight

442 The Nisei Soldier

Director: HOSHIYAMA Ryosuke (星山遼介)

2022｜USA｜23min｜Language: English, French, German｜Subtitles: English, Japanese

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Starring

Smitty CHAI
Jonathan TANIGAKI
Marine ASSAIANTE
Ben RADEMACHER

Synopsis

In this lushly shot film, we are taken to WWII-era France where the US Army’s 442nd All Japanese-American Regimental Combat Team have engaged the Germans. We follow two soldiers who have been split off from their main force as they seek refuge in the woods of Bruyères only to find themselves in the home of a French widow. Notions of identity and national loyalty collide as a series of strange parallels create a twisting-turning edge-of-the-seat story, all of which is really brought home by impressive production design and convincing period-details.

[Jason MAHER]

Director's Message

442 is a film dedicated to a generation of Asian-Americans who sacrificed their lives for love and loyalty to their country. Based on the experiences of second-generation Japanese-Americans, the film follows two “Nisei” soldiers fighting in France, navigating patriotism and identity while their families are detained in internment camps back home. As a Japanese filmmaker often struggling with my own identity, I wanted to dedicate this film to second generation members of the Asian diaspora and to share the exploration of these identities with the world.

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