RE: amazing film experience
That sounds great. I've heard something of the story about this film. It is an amazing story, indeed. Do you know if the film will be shown elsewhere? Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi Yesterday I was able to experience something truly unusual in film. No, this is not film vs digital or anything stupid like that. There is an Asian film festival happening in San Jose this weekend. Yesterday, I was privileged to join the audience for a viewing of A View from Topaz ... an amazing film, shot and edited by one of the people who lived in the internment camp in the Utah desert from April of 1943 to May of 1945, displaced from home in San Francisco. The film was shot *during his internment!*, an incredibly difficult thing to conceive of since the mere possession of a camera by an internee, at the time, was deemed illegal, a criminal act, etc. That this was regular 8mm color film work, itself rare and unusual to see in home movies of that era. The circumstances which enabled him to obtain his movie camera, photograph the circumstances of his internment, have the film processed and actually be able to see it *while still in the internment camp* are without doubt unique. The photographer passed away last year, having used the same small spring-wound 8mm movie camera to record his life from the early 1930s up to the 1980s. It was a glimpse into a very difficult time for Japanese Americans, and a special gift for those who appreciate what photography can help us see. It was an amazing experience, a true privilege to be able to participate in. Godfrey
RE: amazing film experience
Shoot! It was playing in Berkeley and I missed it. Damn! Shel [Original Message] From: Shel Belinkoff That sounds great. I've heard something of the story about this film. It is an amazing story, indeed. Do you know if the film will be shown elsewhere? [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi Yesterday I was able to experience something truly unusual in film. No, this is not film vs digital or anything stupid like that. There is an Asian film festival happening in San Jose this weekend. Yesterday, I was privileged to join the audience for a viewing of A View from Topaz ... an amazing film, shot and edited by one of the people who lived in the internment camp in the Utah desert from April of 1943 to May of 1945
Re: amazing film experience
I think yesterday at noon was it for A View from Topaz but you might contact the folks at http://www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org/ to find out if it will be shown anywhere else sometime soon. I feel quite fortunate in that one of my friends rang me just as I arrived home at 11:30am yesterday to tell me about the film starting at noon ... I grabbed Felipe, ran out the door and rushed to San Jose. We arrived just in time to see it. Godfrey On Mar 26, 2006, at 8:56 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote: That sounds great. I've heard something of the story about this film. It is an amazing story, indeed. Do you know if the film will be shown elsewhere? Shel [Original Message] From: Godfrey DiGiorgi Yesterday I was able to experience something truly unusual in film. No, this is not film vs digital or anything stupid like that. There is an Asian film festival happening in San Jose this weekend. Yesterday, I was privileged to join the audience for a viewing of A View from Topaz ... an amazing film, shot and edited by one of the people who lived in the internment camp in the Utah desert from April of 1943 to May of 1945, displaced from home in San Francisco. The film was shot *during his internment!*, an incredibly difficult thing to conceive of since the mere possession of a camera by an internee, at the time, was deemed illegal, a criminal act, etc. That this was regular 8mm color film work, itself rare and unusual to see in home movies of that era. The circumstances which enabled him to obtain his movie camera, photograph the circumstances of his internment, have the film processed and actually be able to see it *while still in the internment camp* are without doubt unique. The photographer passed away last year, having used the same small spring-wound 8mm movie camera to record his life from the early 1930s up to the 1980s. It was a glimpse into a very difficult time for Japanese Americans, and a special gift for those who appreciate what photography can help us see. It was an amazing experience, a true privilege to be able to participate in. Godfrey
Re: amazing film experience
Any idea if this film will be available anywhere outside of the Bay Area? It would be a shame for such an intimate documentary of this national tragedy were not widely available. -P Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote: Yesterday I was able to experience something truly unusual in film. No, this is not film vs digital or anything stupid like that. There is an Asian film festival happening in San Jose this weekend. Yesterday, I was privileged to join the audience for a viewing of A View from Topaz ... an amazing film, shot and edited by one of the people who lived in the internment camp in the Utah desert from April of 1943 to May of 1945, displaced from home in San Francisco. The film was shot *during his internment!*, an incredibly difficult thing to conceive of since the mere possession of a camera by an internee, at the time, was deemed illegal, a criminal act, etc. That this was regular 8mm color film work, itself rare and unusual to see in home movies of that era. The circumstances which enabled him to obtain his movie camera, photograph the circumstances of his internment, have the film processed and actually be able to see it *while still in the internment camp* are without doubt unique. The photographer passed away last year, having used the same small spring-wound 8mm movie camera to record his life from the early 1930s up to the 1980s. It was a glimpse into a very difficult time for Japanese Americans, and a special gift for those who appreciate what photography can help us see. It was an amazing experience, a true privilege to be able to participate in. Godfrey
Re: amazing film experience
On Mar 26, 2006, at 9:47 AM, Paul Sorenson wrote: Any idea if this film will be available anywhere outside of the Bay Area? It would be a shame for such an intimate documentary of this national tragedy were not widely available. No idea, although in the post-film discussion it seemed that this edit of the material (about ~45 minutes in length) was prepared by David Tetsuno (the originator) for a 1 hour broadcast slot a few years ago and shown on PBS at that time. I'd like to see his full 2 hour edit from which this film was made. David's passed away now, but his children seemed receptive to the idea of making the longer edit available some day. Godfrey
Re: amazing film experience
Wow, would love to see it. Bob S. On 3/26/06, Godfrey DiGiorgi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Yesterday I was able to experience something truly unusual in film. No, this is not film vs digital or anything stupid like that. There is an Asian film festival happening in San Jose this weekend. Yesterday, I was privileged to join the audience for a viewing of A View from Topaz ... an amazing film, shot and edited by one of the people who lived in the internment camp in the Utah desert from April of 1943 to May of 1945, displaced from home in San Francisco. The film was shot *during his internment!*, an incredibly difficult thing to conceive of since the mere possession of a camera by an internee, at the time, was deemed illegal, a criminal act, etc. That this was regular 8mm color film work, itself rare and unusual to see in home movies of that era. The circumstances which enabled him to obtain his movie camera, photograph the circumstances of his internment, have the film processed and actually be able to see it *while still in the internment camp* are without doubt unique. The photographer passed away last year, having used the same small spring-wound 8mm movie camera to record his life from the early 1930s up to the 1980s. It was a glimpse into a very difficult time for Japanese Americans, and a special gift for those who appreciate what photography can help us see. It was an amazing experience, a true privilege to be able to participate in. Godfrey
