LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2009 — What stories do distinguished photographers Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Toyo Miyatake's photographs tell in this motion picture? Toyo's Camera reveals a riveting chapter of Japanese-American History during WWII. The award-winning film Toyo's Camera (http://www.toyoscamera.com) captures this history through Toyo Miyatake's lens! And internationally acclaimed Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning recording artist Kitaro provides the accompanying CD Soundtrack, available March 10, 2009 on Domo Records (http://www.domo.com).
Toyo's Camera is a collaboration of world-renowned artists including Photographers: Toyo Miyatake, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Musicians: Kitaro, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) and Film Director: Junichi Suzuki. Toyo's Camera is a documentary told through Toyo's photographs. While cameras were prohibited in internment camps, there was one photographer who smuggled in a lens and built a camera with it, to capture life behind barbed wires. That photographer was Toyo Miyatake. Toyo's photographs of the internment camp capture the compelling stories of Japanese-Americans during World War II in the feature documentary Toyo's Camera.
Coupling Toyo's photographs with music is world-renowned Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning artist Kitaro's euphonious music. The powerful and vivid songs dramatically add energy to Toyo's photographs. As a Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning artist, this incredibly prolific composer and performer has continued his reign in the international spotlight and at the forefront of musical innovation ever since the release of his debut solo album, Astral Voyage, in 1978. His numerous recording highlights include 1986's Tenku, 1987's The Light of the Spirit (a collaboration with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and Kitaro's American breakthrough), as well as Sacred Journey of Ku-kai, a multi-volume series of peace-themed albums inspired by the tragedy of 9/11. Music featured on the soundtrack includes the tracks: Planet, Estrella, Fairy of Water, The Field, The Scroll is Read, Satobiki, Wave of Sand, Nageki, A Passage of Life, Silk Road, Golden Mask and Heaven and Earth.
The myriad of photographs of the Japanese and Japanese-American internees' daily lives faithfully portrays the time period. This story about their internment is not told from the perspective of the Japanese-American victims, but from a third-person party's neutral point of view. The works of Toyo's mentors and companions, 20th century's famed photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, are also uncovered in this film. Close to 500 riveting photographs of the Japanese-Americans' internment come to life on the big screen.
The 30 individuals who were interviewed each share their deep, intimate stories, which brings more life to the photographs and archived footage. The soundtrack for this film is available on Domo Music. Kitaro's various sound collaborations and resonant, multi-textured compositions, with their crescendos of passion and oases of serenity, truly defy the constraints of any genre. His pioneering fusion of cultures, techniques and spheres of consciousness is truly his own.
See the Film's Limited Run Debut at the Laemmle Monica 4-plex in Santa Monica, CA
Friday, March 6 through Thursday, March 12
1332 2nd Street Santa Monica, 90401 310-394-9741
http://www.laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=3
CD Cover: http://www.pressreleaseheadlines.com/2009-DomoCDCover.jpg
Kitaro with Film Director Junichi Suzuki and Toyo Miyatake's Son, Archie Miyatake: http://www.pressreleaseheadlines.com/2009Domo-3-shot.jpg
See more about the film and Kitaro at http://www.domo.com and http://www.toyoscamera.com
Media Contact:
Craig Melone
310-341-3201
Email
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