2011年02月27日(日) 08時03分12秒
From Snowy New York to Sunshine Florida
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“Can I really get there today? “ New York was freezing cold. I just could not picture myself arriving in blue sky sunny Florida. Sure enough at the airport, the one flight before me had been cancelled. I called Morikami Museum where my film was going to be shown the next day about this tricky situation. I also held another ticket for the next morning just to make sure I could arrive there in time.
Usually my worry does not become reality, and my flight was ONLY One Hour late.
I got there safely. Phew.
Next morning, I woke up and was totally shocked. Are you kidding me? What is this weather? 83 degrees outside . . . Blue Sky with cotton candy like clouds . . . No wonder there are so many snow birds from New York.
My executive producer, drove me from Miami to Delray Beach, where Morikami Museum is located. Suddenly we saw this Edo Castle-like white wall with black bricks (Kawara Yane) on top, on the right side of an American highway.
“Where are we?” Once we entered the gate, a huge garden greeted us. And at the entrance of the museum building, Ms. Reiko Nishioka, a Director of Education, was waiting for us.
The showing was from 6 pm, so we had several hours to appreciate the museum and the garden. Ms. Nishioka showed us the beautiful garden with bamboo forest, ponds and waterfalls. It was impressive to see how they utilized Floridian flowers and plants to create Japanese gardens.
“Is this summer or winter?” It was so hot and sunny; I took off my light Jacket. I was sure my body could not understand what was going on.
The time passed quickly and at 5:30 we went to the auditorium. Another shock here. Most of the audience was AMERICAN. Usually when we showed this film in New York or Washington DC, we saw more JAPANESE in the audience. I became a bit nervous. I wondered if they would like this bilingual and bicultural film.
Director Nishioka started her greetings. I met her last April when this film was shown at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami. The Japanese consulate general threw a party for us a day before the showing and Ms. Nishioka was there. As soon as I heard that she works at the Morikami Museum, I was so delighted. My speech coach in New York told me how wonderful this museum was and she kept saying it would be great if they could show my film there. I asked Ms. Nishioka to consider showing my film.
I got an e-mail from her shortly after. She saw the film and loved it and she wanted to show the film at Morikami. My dream came true! Ms. Nishioka said in her greeting, “I did not choose to show this film because I am a Japanese woman, or because Ms. Gasha is a Japanese woman, but I chose this film because the theme is universal. How many people in the audience, at least once has said, I love my mother, but I just don’t want to be like her.”
After the showing, it was time for the question-and-answer period. Among them, one question was, “Do you consider yourself a Japanese mother or an American mother?” My answer was, “I have become a universal mother” and there was big applause, I was so happy. At that moment, I felt this audience accepted this film here, too. After the film, many people shared stories from their life experiences. This movie always does that. People start talking about their own lives. During 85 minutes of this film, they seem to compare their lives with each character in the film. The characters are so open and candid about their lives that audiences feel like it is their time to share their life stories. One American woman shared her experience as a new bride in a traditional Japanese family.
I also met 3 ladies from Montreal, Canada who said they really wanted to show this film in Canada. This is the greatest reward for a filmmaker when people really try hard to bring this film to other places.
After the showing, Ms. Nishioka took us to a nice dinner. There she told us a very interesting story. “Some seniors become very lonely in their later years, but now there is a group at the Morikami garden to walk together to make new friends. When you said you made this film to convey the message to not suffer alone, and you made this film to connect people, that message really touched those seniors who were there.” I am glad.
When we have a big challenge in front of us, we have a tendency to suffer alone and may go into dark, lonely places. Even though there are so many people who are facing challenges, you feel like you are the only one suffering. So I do hope that people who see this film use it as a conversation piece to connect each other and talk about lives.
I plan to keep traveling with this film and that message: We do not have to suffer alone.
Please follow me on Twitter, Daughterschoice
We have a facebook, Mothers’ Way, Daughters’ Choice
And the film’s website is MWDC.NET
Usually my worry does not become reality, and my flight was ONLY One Hour late.
I got there safely. Phew.
Next morning, I woke up and was totally shocked. Are you kidding me? What is this weather? 83 degrees outside . . . Blue Sky with cotton candy like clouds . . . No wonder there are so many snow birds from New York.
My executive producer, drove me from Miami to Delray Beach, where Morikami Museum is located. Suddenly we saw this Edo Castle-like white wall with black bricks (Kawara Yane) on top, on the right side of an American highway.
“Where are we?” Once we entered the gate, a huge garden greeted us. And at the entrance of the museum building, Ms. Reiko Nishioka, a Director of Education, was waiting for us.
The showing was from 6 pm, so we had several hours to appreciate the museum and the garden. Ms. Nishioka showed us the beautiful garden with bamboo forest, ponds and waterfalls. It was impressive to see how they utilized Floridian flowers and plants to create Japanese gardens.
“Is this summer or winter?” It was so hot and sunny; I took off my light Jacket. I was sure my body could not understand what was going on.
The time passed quickly and at 5:30 we went to the auditorium. Another shock here. Most of the audience was AMERICAN. Usually when we showed this film in New York or Washington DC, we saw more JAPANESE in the audience. I became a bit nervous. I wondered if they would like this bilingual and bicultural film.
Director Nishioka started her greetings. I met her last April when this film was shown at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami. The Japanese consulate general threw a party for us a day before the showing and Ms. Nishioka was there. As soon as I heard that she works at the Morikami Museum, I was so delighted. My speech coach in New York told me how wonderful this museum was and she kept saying it would be great if they could show my film there. I asked Ms. Nishioka to consider showing my film.
I got an e-mail from her shortly after. She saw the film and loved it and she wanted to show the film at Morikami. My dream came true! Ms. Nishioka said in her greeting, “I did not choose to show this film because I am a Japanese woman, or because Ms. Gasha is a Japanese woman, but I chose this film because the theme is universal. How many people in the audience, at least once has said, I love my mother, but I just don’t want to be like her.”
After the showing, it was time for the question-and-answer period. Among them, one question was, “Do you consider yourself a Japanese mother or an American mother?” My answer was, “I have become a universal mother” and there was big applause, I was so happy. At that moment, I felt this audience accepted this film here, too. After the film, many people shared stories from their life experiences. This movie always does that. People start talking about their own lives. During 85 minutes of this film, they seem to compare their lives with each character in the film. The characters are so open and candid about their lives that audiences feel like it is their time to share their life stories. One American woman shared her experience as a new bride in a traditional Japanese family.
I also met 3 ladies from Montreal, Canada who said they really wanted to show this film in Canada. This is the greatest reward for a filmmaker when people really try hard to bring this film to other places.
After the showing, Ms. Nishioka took us to a nice dinner. There she told us a very interesting story. “Some seniors become very lonely in their later years, but now there is a group at the Morikami garden to walk together to make new friends. When you said you made this film to convey the message to not suffer alone, and you made this film to connect people, that message really touched those seniors who were there.” I am glad.
When we have a big challenge in front of us, we have a tendency to suffer alone and may go into dark, lonely places. Even though there are so many people who are facing challenges, you feel like you are the only one suffering. So I do hope that people who see this film use it as a conversation piece to connect each other and talk about lives.
I plan to keep traveling with this film and that message: We do not have to suffer alone.
Please follow me on Twitter, Daughterschoice
We have a facebook, Mothers’ Way, Daughters’ Choice
And the film’s website is MWDC.NET
