Visual Memories: Japanese American Internment Survivors & Art Therapy

“Visual Memories: Internment Survivors and Art Therapy” is a documentary on the internment of 110,000 Japanese-American and Japanese who were sent to camp during World War II. Many Americans are unaware of the gross injustice perpetrated on this population, and many who were interned remained silent afterwards.

Six elderly Japanese-Americans who had been sent to internment camps participated in art making to explore if image making would enhance their personal historical narrative. Image making coupled with their personal experiences, examined what memories were most significant across the participants. Listening to their recollections along with viewing their creations the viewer is enabled to realize what a traumatic experience the internment was for them, and to witness their inspiring capacity to recall it.

From their honesty and frank statements, it appears that these articulate survivors, while deeply affected by what happened to them, have been able to go on with living their lives in the present without denying the painful truth of the past.

Total Running Time: 49 minutes