Strawberry Fields (1997 film)

Infobox Film
name = Strawberry Fields


caption = DVD cover
director = Rea Tajiri
producer = Rea Tajiri
Jason Kliot
writer = Rea Tajiri & Kerri Sakamoto
starring = Suzy Nakamura
James Sie
Reiko Matheiu
Heather Yoshimura
Marilyn Tokuda
Chris Tashima
Takayo Fischer
narrator =
music = Bundy Brown
Sooyoung Park
cinematography = Zachary Winestine
editing = Steve Hamilton
James Lyons
distributor = Vanguard Cinema (DVD)
released = 1997
runtime = 90 min.
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0108233

"Strawberry Fields" (1997) is an independent feature film directed by Japanese American filmmaker Rea Tajiri and co-written by Tajiri and Japanese Canadian author Kerri Sakamoto.

Background

"Strawberry Fields" was filmed in Chicago, Illinois, and in California. It received funding from CPB, NEA and ITVS, and was completed in 1997. It premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and was an Official Selection to the Venice Film Festival. It also screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the Fukuoka Asian Film Festival. Film critic Roger Ebert called the film "... a moving piece of work." It was released on VHS and DVD by Vanguard Cinema.

Plot

The story of the film centers on Irene Kawai, a Japanese American teeanger in Chicago in the 70's who is haunted by a photo of her grandfather she never knew, standing by a barracks in a World War II internment camp for Japanese Americans. Prompted by visits from the ghost of "Terri", her dead baby sister, Irene journeys with her boyfriend, Luke, on a road trip to Arizona, where the Poston War Relocation Center once stood, and where the photo of her grandfather was taken.

Cast

(Main players)

* Suzy Nakamura as Irene Kawai
* James Sie as Luke
* Heather Yoshimura as Terri
* Marilyn Tokuda as Alice
* Reiko Mathieu as Aura
* Chris Tashima as Mark
* Takayo Fischer as Takayo
* Peter Yoshida as Bill

Trivia

* The original title to the film was "What Happened to Her? and the Strawberry Fields."
* The roles of "Takayo" and "Mark" were created for Takayo Fischer and Chris Tashima after the filmmakers met them during auditions for other roles.

External links

*imdb title|id=0108233|title=Strawberry Fields