Landscapes of Injustice and the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives are pleased to present
Lunch and Learn- Kiri’s Piano A Japanese Canadian film presentation with filmmaker France Benoit
Monday, February 2, 2015
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Harry Hickman Bldg. Rm. 116
University of Victoria
Free and open to the public
This is the British Columbia premiere of France Benoit’s heart wrenching short film, Kiri’s Piano.
Inspired by Canadian folk singer James Keelaghan’s 1988 song of the same name, the film chronicles one woman’s sacrifice in the face of rampant prejudice tearing her Japanese Canadian family apart. Kiri’s once joyful piano music turns bitter when forced relocation and internment take away her husband, her home, and her family’s simple fishing life along the BC coast.
Landscapes of Injustice is a 7-year research project that focuses on the dispossession of the property owned by Japanese Canadians during World
War II. The project is funded by a Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and by contributions from 13 partner institutions.
Join us for Japanese snacks and refreshments and for a look into one of Canada’s darkest moments.
France Benoit will be in attendance and will share insights on the film and her motivations to find the family that inspired her.
Funding also provided by the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society.