GARDENA ? On Saturday and sex on the beach videosSunday, Sept. 7-8, the Okinawa Association of America, Inc. (OAA) will screen two feature films directly from Okinawa and Japan, with English subtitles, at the OAA Center in Gardena. 

Due to limited seating, purchase tickets or RSVP in advance ($5 general public, free for OAA members): (310) 532-1929, oaamensore.org/tickets

While the two movies differ drastically in style, tone, and message – “Happy Sandwich” being a fun, food-centric documentary and “Kanata no Senkō: Lightning Over the Beyond” a deeply emotional exploration of war – together they demonstrate the spectrum of the Ryūkyūan/Okinawan experience: surrounded by rich cultural heritage as well as the after-effects of World War II’s devastating Battle of Okinawa.

Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.:“Happy Sandwich” (2023) is an award-winning documentary that the Hawai‘i International Film Festival called “an uplifting foodie road movie, representing the wonders of Okinawa culture.”?Directed by Tsukasa Kishimoto from Nago, interviews and staged scenes are woven together with gorgeous landscapes of Uchinaa (Okinawa Island) and mouth-watering close-ups of food and cooking.?

Manna, a chef in Yanbaru (the northern region of Uchinaa), is directed by a kaminchu(priestess) to craft a special offering for the gods – a sandwich. He accepts the challenge and seeks advice from local beekeepers, farmers, fishers, and restaurateurs who utilize traditional and regional ingredients. 

Key values of Ryūkyūan life such as yiimaaru or yuimaaru (the spirit of mutual aid) and reverence for nature are exemplified by each interviewee, giving “Happy Sandwich” much more substance than the usual cuisine-focused project.

The producers from Okinawa, Masashi and Maria Otomo, will attend the screening. (4 p.m. show added because 1 p.m. show sold out)

Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.:Directed by Yoshihiro Hanno from Osaka, “Kanata no Senkō: Lightning Over the Beyond” (2022) is a fictional drama that centers on real-life atrocities: the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan and the Battle of Okinawa. Ikuta (Gordon Maeda) is a color-blind art college student who aches to understand war and human nature after discovering a photographer’s seminal work on the subjects. This leads him to team up with Tomobe (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a cynical filmmaker who aches for revolution and scorns Ikuta’s naivety. 

Though both of the protagonists are fundamentally anti-war, they monologue about it only in poetic abstractions and ideological extremes. Neither of them have direct connections to war while Emi (Awich), whose grandmother survived the U.S. bombing of Nagasaki, and Itosu (Shōgen), who educates them on the true nature of the Battle of Okinawa and subsequent U.S. military presence, must live with the after-effects of war every day.  Okinawan actors Shōgen and Awich deliver unforgettable performances with nuanced restraint, their pain and generational trauma brewing just below the surface.

Content warning: Not suitable for minors. Intense situations (non-violent), profanity, and brief scenes of alcohol consumption, sexual intimacy, and implied domestic abuse.

The OAA Center is located at 16500 S. Western Ave., Gardena. On-site parking lot with limited space accessible behind the buildings off 165th Place. Advance RSVP or ticket required to attend each screening.

The “Kanata no Senkō: Lightning Over the Beyond” screening is a collaboration with Japan Film Festival Los Angeles (JFFLA). The 19th annual JFFLA is set for Sept. 13-16 in Hollywood. Online screenings will start on Sept. 1. For more information visit jffla.org.

Awarded as one of 2023’s California Nonprofits of the Year, OAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to preserving and promoting Okinawan culture. Formed by first-generation Okinawan immigrants (Issei), OAA has grown into a multi-generational organization that hosts numerous events throughout the year, including cultural lectures, performances, social gatherings, and senior-focused activities. 

2024 marks the organization’s 115th anniversary as well as the 25th anniversary of the OAA Center in Gardena. For updates, visit oaamensore.org or follow @oaamensore on Facebook/Instagram.

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