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Robert A. Nakamura
Associate Director, Asian American Studies Center
Professor, Department of Asian American Studies
3229 Campbell Hall
Ph. 310.206.8889
Fax. 310.206.9844
eMail: rnakamur@ucla.edu |
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Robert Akira Nakamura, a pioneering filmmaker and influential teacher and mentor, “the Godfather of Asian American media”, has been a major force in the conception and growth of community media since 1970. Don Nakanishi, director of the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA, has stated, “Bob Nakamura is the standard by which others across the nation –the vast majority of whom he professionally trained—are measured.”
Born on July 6, 1937, in Venice, California, to an Issei father and Nisei mother, Nakamura left a successful career in photojournalism and advertising photography to become one of the first to explore, interpret and present the experiences of Japanese Americans in film. His ground-breaking personal documentary Manzanar (1972) revisited painful childhood memories of incarceration in an American concentration camp during World War II, and it has been selected for major retrospectives on the documentary form at the San Francisco Museum of Art and the Film Forum, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
A graduate of Art Center College of Design (B.A., 1966) and the UCLA Department of Motion Picture & Television Production (M.F.A., 1975), Nakamura has garnered more than 25 national awards for his innovative and evocative films: Wataridori: Birds of Passage (1975), Hito Hata: Raise the Banner (1980), Fools Dance (1983), Conversations: Before/After the War (1985), Through Our Own Eyes (1992), Moving Memories (1992), Something Strong Within (1994) and Looking Like the Enemy (1995).
In 1970, in order to integrate his professional photography skills with a growing need to express personal and community concerns, he founded Visual Communications, now the oldest community-based media arts center in the United States, where he continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. In 1996, he founded the UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications to link ethnic studies and community documentation. In 1997, he and Karen Ishizuka founded the Media Arts Center of the Japanese American National Museum to develop and produce new ways to document, preserve and present the experiences of Americans of Japanese ancestry.
Nakamura was the first recipient of the annual Steve Tatsukawa Memorial Award in 1985 for outstanding achievement and leadership in Asian American media. In 1994, the Asian Pacific American Coalition in Cinema, Theatre & Television of UCLA instituted the “Robert A. Nakamura Award” in his honor to recognize outstanding contributions of other Asian Pacific American visual artists. In 1997, the Smithsonian Institute presented a retrospective of his work, and in 1999 he was named to the endowed chair in Japanese American studies at UCLA.
Nakamura is married to his longtime producing partner, Karen Ishizuka, and has two children, Thai Binh and Tadashi.
from the Encyclopedia of Japanese American History, An A-to-Z Reference from 1898 to the Present (Updated Edition), Editor, Brian Niiya.
HONORS/AWARDS
2005 Ann C. Rosenfield Distinguished Community Partnership Prize
Official Selection Sundance Film Festival
Distinguished Artist, 5th Annual C.O.L.A. (City of Los Angeles) Exhibition
Selected as one of the Top 100 Producers of 1999 by the AV Multimedia Producer Magazine
Endowed Chair, Japanese American Studies, UCLA
Second recipient of only endowed chair in Japanese American Studies
1997 Retrospective at Smithsonian Institute
Presented by the Smithsonian Office of Education at the Hirshhorn Museum
1994 Robert A. Nakamura Award
An annual award in honor of Robert A. Nakamura given to outstanding achievement in Asian Pacific American media and performing arts given by the Asian Pacific American Coalition in Cinema, Theater and Television (APACT). The inaugural award was given to Nakamura.
1985 Steve Tatsukawa Award
First recipient of this annual national award recognizing outstanding achievement and leadership in the field of Asian American media and social concerns.
ORGANIZATIONS FOUNDED
Downtown Community Media Center: A campus-to-community affiliate of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and the Little Tokyo Service Center in downtown Los Angeles, founded in 2003.
Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center: A full-service media production department of the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
UCLA Center for Ethnocommunications: To link ethnic studies and ethnographic research with emerging media technologies to create interdisciplinary opportunities for scholars, students, and community.
Visual Communications, Asian American Studies Central, Inc.: The oldest national community-based arts organization for Asian American and Pacific Island media, founded in 1970 and located in Los Angeles, CA.
FILMOGRAPHY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, 9066 TO 9/11
A look at the World War II-era treatment of Japanese Americans as seen through the contemporary lens of our post-9/11 world. Digital video, 18 minutes, 2004.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, WORDS, WEAVINGS & SONGS
Delving into the universal language of art, three Japanese American women – Wakak Yamauchi, Momo Nagano and Mary Kageyama Nomura – survived the World War II concentration camps and continue to transcend those years with unrelenting creative expression. Digital video, 30 minutes, 2002.
Awards
Telly Awards Bronze Statuette, 2003
PRODUCER, TOYO MIYATAKE: INFINITE SHADES OF GRAY
An official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and called “eloquent and deeply moving” by Kevin Thomas of the L.A. Times, a penetrating story about this immigrant photographer who captured life in a World War II concentration camp with a makeshift camera features his art photography of the late 1920s and 1930s. Digital video and 16mm, 28 minutes, 2001.
Awards
Best Documentary Short, Newport Beach Film Festival, 2003
Director’s Choice Award, Black Maria Film & Video Festival, 2003
WorldMedalist, The New York Festivals, 2003
HBO Films Producer Award, Savannah Film and Video Festival, 2002
Best Short Documentary, Savannah Film and Video Festival, 2002
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short, Florida Film Festival, 2002
Gold Award, Aurora Awards, 2002
Bronze Award, Arts/Culture, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, 2002
Bronze Statuette, Telly Awards, 2002
CINE Golden Eagle, 2001
IDA/ABC News Videosource Award Nominee, 2001
Reviews
By Jasmine Alinder in The Moving Image: The Journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, Vol. 2, No. 2, Fall 2002, pp.161-163.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, HARSH CANVAS: THE ART AND LIFE OF HENRY SUGIMOTO
A documentary on the painter Henry Sugimoto featuring his memoirs, artwork, rare home movies and footage of his studio in New York City and his hometown of Wakayama, Japan. Digital video, 30 minutes, 2001.
Awards
CINE Golden Eagle, 2002
Gold Award, Ethnic/Culture, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, 2002
Finalist, Japan Prize, 2001
Bronze Statuette, 22nd Annual Telly Awards, 2001
Award of Distinction, The Videographer Awards, 2001
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, EYE TO EYE: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ARTS AND ARTISTS
Twelve video profiles of Asian Pacific artists including Beat poet Albert Saijo, playwright Frank Chin, performance artist Nobuko Miyamoto, and multimedia artists Yoon Soon Min and Allen DeSouza. Series includes resource guides with logged transcriptions and two 15-minute classroom modules. Video, color, 2000.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, THE BRACELET
Video presentation of popular children’s book about friends separated by war, intertwining historic footage and photographs with original illustrations. Part of the “Once Upon a Camp” multi-lingual series for elementary and secondary students teaching about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Video, 31 minutes, color, 2000.
Awards
Platinum Award, Educational Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, 2001
Bronze Statuette, Children’s, Telly Awards
Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2000
Platinum Best of Show, Aurora Awards, 2000
Crystal Award of Excellence, Children’s Programming, Communicator Awards, 2000
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DEAR MISS BREED
The story of how a librarian became a hero to Japanese American youth in an American concentration camp. Part of the “Once Upon a Camp” multi-lingual series for elementary and secondary students teaching about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Video, 15 minutes, color, 2000.
Awards
Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media, Council on Foundations, 2002
Special Gold Jury Award, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, 2001
Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2000
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, INTERACTIONS
Chronicles four high school students as they are given four days to tackle one mission: to find out what life was like for teenagers in camp during World War II. Part of the “Once Upon a Camp” multi-lingual series for elementary and secondary students teaching about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Video, 26 minutes, color, 2000.
Awards
Gold Award, Historical, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, 2001
Award of Excellence, Educational/Grades K-12, Videographer Awards, 2001
Bronze Statuette, Cultural, Telly Awards, 2001
Chris Statuette (First Place), Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2000
Platinum Best of Show, Aurora Awards, 2000
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CROSSOVER
A fast-breaking documentary on the 50-year-old phenomenon of the Japanese American basketball leagues. Video, 26 minutes, color, 2000.
Awards
Gold Award, Aurora Awards, 2000
Silver Plaque, Documentary Video, Social/Political, INTERCOM, The International Communications Film & Video Competition, 2000
Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2000
Award of Distinction, Sports, Communicator Awards, 2000
Crystal Award of Excellence, Creativity/Editing, Communicator Awards, 2000
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TOP OF THEIR GAME
Video essay on nine Japanese American athletes from gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi to Wat Misaka, the first person of color in the NBA. Video, 60 minutes, color, 2000.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, J-TOWN RHAPSODY
8-screen video wall on the changing and expanding essence of Japanese America. Laser disc, 14 minutes, color, 1999.
Awards
Platinum Award, New Media, Worldfest Houston, 2001
Crystal Award, Museums, The Communicator Awards, 1999
Crystal Award, Video Wall, The Communicator Awards, 1999
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AFTEREFFECTS
A personal exploration of the impact of the World War II incarceration on the filmmaker, combining his childhood memories and artist’s interpretation. 1998.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MIXED PLATE
3-screen laser disc installation on the diversity of Japanese Americans in Hawaii. Laser disc, 10 minutes, color, 1997.
DIRECTOR, PLANTATION ROOTS
On the roots and influence of the sugar plantation system on the demographics, culture and economy of contemporary Hawaii. Video, 23 minutes, color, 1997.
DIRECTOR, FROM BULLETS TO BALLOTS
Japanese American World War II veterans from Hawaii tell why they were willing to risk their lives to help democratize Hawaii. Video, 20 minutes, color, 1997.
DIRECTOR, POLITICS OF PLATE LUNCH
A critical examination of race and ethnicity within the place and historiography of Hawaii by a variety of “locals” – attorney, student, journalist, musician, historian, professor. Video, 20 minutes, color, 1997.
DIRECTOR, THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF DARK: TOYO MIYATAKE, 1895-1979
Documentary on the life and work of American pictorialist/modern photographer and community documentarian Toyo Miyatake. Video, 28 minutes, color, 1996.
DIRECTOR, LOOKING LIKE THE ENEMY
A video essay on the dilemma of “looking like the enemy” faced by American soldiers of Asian descent in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Video, 52 minutes, color, 1995.
Awards
Chris Award, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 1996
Bronze Carp Award, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, 1996
Finalist, Houston International Film Festival, 1996
DIRECTOR/EDITOR, SOMETHING STRONG WITHIN
A journey into the determination to survive what has become known as “America’s concentration camps” featuring rare amateur film footage taken by inmates in the World War II camps. Video (transfer of 16mm and 8mm film), 40 minutes, color, 1994.
Awards
CINE Golden Eagle, 1995
Silver Muse Award, American Association of Museums, 1995
First Place History (Exhibits), American Association of Museums, 1995
First Place Documentary, San Jose State University Film & Video Festival, 1995
Bronze Award, Houston International Film Festival, 1995
Chris Award, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 1995
Finalist, Christopher Columbus Award for Creativity, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 1995
DIRECTOR, MOVING MEMORIES
A 30-minute video featuring amateur footage taken by Japanese pioneers to the U.S. in the 1920s-1930s, hosted and narrated by George Takei. Video (with original 16mm footage), 30 minutes, color, 1992.
Awards
CINE Golden Eagle, 1995
American Association of State and Local History, 1994
DIRECTOR/EDITOR, THROUGH OUR OWN EYES
A 3-screen laser disc installation featuring amateur footage from the 1920s-1930s. 1992.
Awards
Award of Merit, Chicago International Film Festival, 1992
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR, CONVERSATIONS: BEFORE THE WAR/AFTER THE WAR
A dramatic exploration into the long-term effects of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. 1985.
Awards
First Place Documentary, Herland V Film & Video Festival, 1989
First Place Documentary, Oswego International Film Festival, 1988
Award of Merit, Sinking Creek Film Celebration, 1987
CO-PRODUCER/DIRECTOR, FOOLS’ DANCE
A dramatic comedy of life and death in a convalescent home. 1983.
Awards
First Place Drama, Herland V Film & Video Festival, 1989
Chris Award, Columbus International Film Festival, 1989 (nominated for screenwriting award)
Oswego International Film Festival, Best of Show, 1988
National Educational Film & Video Festival Award, 1987
CINE Golden Eagle, selected for screening at Award Ceremony, 1986
Retirement Research Foundation National Media Award, 1985
WRITER/CO-DIRECTOR, HITO-HATA: RAISE THE BANNER
A feature-length dramatic film of the life of a Japanese immigrant from the 1920s to the 1980s. 16mm, 110 minutes, color, 1980.
Awards
Cultures in Focus Film Festival, Silver Award, 1981
Asian American International Film Festival Award of Distinction, 1981
Houston International Film Festival, Gold Award, 1980
Commendations from the County and City of Los Angeles, 1980
WRITER/DIRECTOR, WATARIDORI: BIRDS OF PASSAGE
A documentary of the first generation of Japanese through the life stories of 3 immigrants. 16mm, 36 minutes, color, 1975.
Awards
Cultures in Focus Film Festival Gold Award, 1981
7th Annual Art Center International Exhibition Award for Best Documentary, 1976
PRODUCER, THE JOURNEY
An animated film about isolation. 16mm, 7 minutes, color, 1975.
PRODUCER, CITY, CITY
On the variety of life found in the contemporary city. 16mm, 15 minutes, color, 1975.
PRODUCER, I TOLD YOU SO
On the multi-cultural influences on poet Lawson Inada. 16mm, 18 minutes, black and white, 1973.
CINEMATOGRAPHER, PIECES OF A DREAM
On Asian American contributions to agriculture in the Sacramento River Delta. 16mm, 30 minutes, color, 1973.
PRODUCER, CHINATOWN 2-STEP
On the Chinese-American Los Angeles Drum & Bugle Corps. 16mm, 17 minutes, color, 1972.
PRODUCER, CRUISIN’ J-TOWN
About the jazz-fusion band “Hiroshima”. 16 mm, 30 minutes, color, 1972.
CINEMATOGRAPHER, TO BE ME: TONY QUON
On the adjustment of a 10-year-old Chinese immigrant. 16mm, 10 minutes, color, 1972.
WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR, MANZANAR
Boyhood memories of life in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans. 16 mm, 16 minutes, color, 1972.
Festivals
Los Angeles Asian Pacific American International Film Festival, 1990
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