The Los Angeles Times has a good article on filmmaker Tad Nakamura and his new documentary A Song For Ourselves, which has its world premiere tonight with a big ol' party at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo: Tadashi Nakamura completes his documentary trilogy about Asian Americans.
The film is a tribute to late musician Chris Iijima, an influential figure in the nascent Asian American empowerment movement of the 1970s. It's a moving, wonderfully made film, and the third in Tad's trilogy of documentaries on Japanese American history, which began with the films Yellow Brotherhood and Pilgrimage.
Tonight's premiere looks like it's going to be a really great event. In addition to the screening, the premiere will reunite two of Iijima's old bandmates, Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin, and will feature performances by hip hop acts Blue Scholars, Bambu and Kiwi. (If you haven't downloaded heard the A Song for Ourselves Mixtape yet, get it now.)
I don't know what the ticket situation is -- last I heard, online tickets were sold old -- but you might have luck at the door. For more information go to the A Song for Ourselves website here.
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