After eight lengthy years of arduous work on her directorial debut, every thing is arising Rachel Michiko Whitney. The journey of documenting and crafting her household’s Japanese and Japanese American legacy has come full-circle on the Newport Seashore Movie Pageant, Whitney tells Deadline. In her first attendance on the pageant, she starred alongside George Takei within the 2018 narrative brief movie, American, that facilities round a 94-year-old Japanese American World Conflict II veteran (Takei) who experiences traumatic flashbacks after encountering a girl (Whitney) trying to find household historical past whereas on the Japanese American Nationwide Museum, the place he serves as a docent. Now, her newest venture, taking part in within the line-up at NBFF, is a documentary movie known as Yonsei.
Co-written and co-directed with Jeff Mizushima, the docu-short follows Whitney as she pauses her tenuous performing profession to write down and star in a movie about her mom, Elizabeth Reiko Kubota (who additionally served as an EP on American), a struggling Japanese American actress within the ’80s. In uncovering her mom’s racially stereotypical journey by Hollywood, Whitney finds herself inspecting American and Japanese race relations as she digs deeper into her grandmother’s historical past, which entails falling in love along with her grandfather whereas captive in a Japanese American WWII camp. Whitney spends the movie torn between exploring her household, mates, Asian bias, and trailblazers within the movie trade, and making a compelling, personable narrative to honor her household legacy.
Right here, Whitney opens up about unearthing the reality whereas sustaining vulnerability and privateness for the sake of her family members.
DEADLINE: How lengthy did this documentary take to place collectively?
RACHEL MICHIKO WHITNEY: Initially, I wrote two screenplays: a fictionalized model of my grandparents’ story and my mother’s story. So, that dates again to writing in 2017. I feel a part of the rationale I wrote screenplays was that, and that is one thing I struggled with within the documentary, I wrestled with respecting my household’s privateness and asking myself, is it OK that I’m telling their tales? I feel it was a means of respecting their privateness by making a fictionalized model of their story.
However I met my co-director, Jeff Mizushima, on the finish of 2022. So, once I advised him about my household story, it actually resonated for him and we began speaking about it, and over the subsequent 12 months we began having conversations about doubtlessly making a documentary as a result of I’ve entry to the footage that my mother was in within the ’80s, the TV exhibits that she did, the music video that she did, and my grandfather had 8mm reels that we have been capable of digitize, and my grandmother has all these images courting again to the Thirties. So, it sort of made sense to make a documentary. And in addition, my grandma’s nonetheless alive. She simply turned 101 a few months in the past, really.
Elizabeth Reiko Kubota Whitney in Yonsei
Water Island Productions
DEADLINE: What did your loved ones consider the completed model of the documentary?
WHITNEY: I used to be nervous to point out my household as a result of once more, it’s their lives that I’m placing on show, however I used to be really very stunned that my grandmother had essentially the most constructive response. The entire suggestions was constructive, however my grandma is 101; she doesn’t have the very best reminiscence, so I wasn’t certain what to anticipate. She liked it, and he or she mentioned, “It’s so nice that future generations will have the ability to see this documentary,” which actually meant loads to me. I hope that actually resonates with the Japanese American group and with everybody. I feel that is, on the finish of the day, a household story, a three-generation Japanese American story. I hope it resonates inside and past the Japanese American group.
DEADLINE: Within the documentary, you present the divide between your mother and her dad and mom in the best way they didn’t actually assist her performing profession. However I’m questioning in regards to the parallels in your expertise along with your mom and in your choice to enter filmmaking after initially declaring a mechanical engineering main in school.
WHITNEY: My mother knew that I at all times wished to comply with in her footsteps as a child. However as a result of I grew up in a city simply north of New York Metropolis, the place nobody labored in leisure. So, it by no means actually appeared like this could possibly be a enjoyable interest for me. My mother by no means wished me to behave as a child, and I at all times begged her to take me to auditions within the metropolis. I’d get backstage and circle the auditions that I wished to go to, however she actually wished me to go to varsity. After which, after school, if I wished to do this, she can be very supportive, however she was adamant that I’m going to varsity first. And I feel studying about her expertise and her being the primary individual in her household to graduate from school, I understood why she cared a lot about that.
She was at all times going to be supportive, and he or she understood once I had that dialog along with her and my dad about wanting to maneuver to LA to pursue performing and a profession within the arts. Although I went to Duke to get my mechanical engineering diploma, I feel the talents you be taught as an engineer will be utilized to many alternative fields. So, it’s not that I’ve any regrets about it. I do like math and science loads, and he or she most likely knew, deep down, that I used to be by no means going to pursue an engineering profession. And I feel simply having that life expertise and the folks I met have given me a lot as an artist, too.
DEADLINE: Speak extra about monitoring down a few of these iconic figures in Asian Hollywood historical past, like Joey Miyashima and the Chilly Tofu founders.
WHITNEY: So, my mother grew to become mates with Joey Miyashima, Marilyn Tokuda, and Denice Kumagai as a result of she was in Chilly Tofu, which was a predominantly Asian American improv group that was began within the ’80s by Marilyn and Denice and two different girls. So, she had at all times stayed in contact with them. And rising up, Joey and his household have been dwelling in Utah, and he was nonetheless performing. And as a child, Joey was in Excessive College Musical. In order a child, I’d see him in these Disney Channel motion pictures, and we’d go to him and his household in Utah. So, Joey, Denice, and Marilyn have been at all times kind of in my life once I was rising up, however I don’t assume I had the complete context of what they did as Asian American actors within the ’80s till I used to be in school and after.
So, once I began engaged on this documentary, I reached out to them and requested if they might be eager about being interviewed for this documentary that I used to be making. And I simply have a lot respect for what they did, as a result of the panorama for Asian American actors within the ’80s, I’ll by no means perceive it. It was simply such a special time, and I feel we’ve made a lot progress. It’s actually vital to grasp the place we got here from and what it was like throughout that point, and to listen to from these actors instantly. So, I’m glad I used to be capable of give them a little bit platform and interview them about what they’ve finished.
DEADLINE: That is your directorial debut. What was essentially the most difficult facet of creating this?
WHITNEY: As a result of that is the primary venture I’ve ever directed, I labored with an incredible co-director, who I discussed earlier, Jeff Mizushima, who has directed movies earlier than. So, that was very useful. After which he has two filmmaker mates, Sam [Yano] and Junya [Sakino], who helped us with filming, and so they have been our co-producers. Then I even have to offer a shout-out to my pal Ben [Flesch], who composed some lovely music for us. I must say essentially the most difficult half was that this was such a private venture for me. So, I actually relied on Jegg to assist in giving some perspective typically, just like how my mother and grandma would say, “Oh, my story’s not attention-grabbing, my story’s not vital sufficient.” I’d really feel that means too typically. And at first, I actually didn’t need to be within the documentary as a result of I used to be like, “Jeff, this isn’t about me. That is about my mother and my grandma.”
However I actually trusted him. I’m like, “OK, in the event you assume it really works that it’s kind of advised by my lens and that I’m interviewing them as a result of I’m engaged on a screenplay, then we’ll do this.” However I’d say that as a result of it’s so private, it was arduous to be extra goal about every thing and to know what’s really attention-grabbing or what we should always spotlight. That half was most likely essentially the most tough for me.
DEADLINE: What did you be taught both about your self, your loved ones or the filmmaking course of whereas doing this?
WHITNEY: Properly, first, I’ll say a part of the rationale why I used to be so excited to be making this and dealing with Jeff is that I do discover that there aren’t numerous tales in regards to the Japanese American expertise advised by Japanese People. And so, I used to be enthusiastic about it, and once I’m interviewing my mother and my grandma, and so they’re like, “Our story’s not attention-grabbing. My story is boring.” I used to be pondering it’s nearly like we’re on this cycle the place, as a result of I really feel that too. I’m like, oh, I don’t know if this story is attention-grabbing sufficient. And I feel it’s as a result of my grandmother believes her story isn’t attention-grabbing sufficient. When she was despatched to a Japanese American internment camp throughout World Conflict II, she met and fell in love with my grandfather. She doesn’t consider it’s attention-grabbing, and so she doesn’t need to inform her story, after which we don’t see these tales. After which, for future generations, as a result of we don’t see these tales, we consider our tales aren’t attention-grabbing sufficient to inform. And I feel that we’ve sort of gotten caught on this cycle, and I get it as a result of I really feel sort of caught in it too. It’s scary to take up area, particularly on this trade. There isn’t area for anybody. So, if you wish to inform your story, you need to inform your story. It’s a must to put your self on the market. And so, I feel that’s one factor that I used to be enthusiastic about.
One other factor is, that is sort of a mouthful, so I don’t know if there’s a greater means of placing this, however I wished to have a look at generational trauma when older generations try to not move on their trauma to future generations by not speaking about their previous. My grandparents not speaking about their expertise being despatched to a Japanese American internment camp throughout World Conflict II, after which additionally my mother by no means speaking about her older sister, who handed away earlier than I used to be born. I feel after we don’t discuss in regards to the previous trauma, we additionally aren’t speaking about previous constructive experiences. And so, I noticed there are such a lot of issues about my aunt that I didn’t know something about. And that is somebody who was essentially the most supportive individual in my mother’s life. I don’t know why I by no means considered that earlier than, why I by no means questioned why I didn’t know something about her, however I simply thought it was attention-grabbing that my mother wasn’t speaking about this one that was so near her in her life. I didn’t get to listen to about all of the superb issues about her—what she was like as an individual, how enjoyable she was, and which sports activities groups she rooted for. That’s a giant theme additionally in my household, we’re all very massive sports activities followers, and so I feel possibly that’s the place I received that from, too.
George Takei in Yonsei
Water Island Productions
DEADLINE: What would you love to do subsequent?
WHITNEY: I’d like to proceed telling extra tales in regards to the Japanese American expertise. I’ve been growing a venture: it’s a real story a few Japanese-Italian American gangster, Kenji Gallo. It’s primarily based on his guide, Breakshot. He wrote it in 2009 and offered the rights in 2010, however Hollywood wasn’t the place it’s at present, and he was mainly advised, ‘ We will’t make this with an Asian American lead. ‘ However that’s another excuse why I’m excited, as a result of I feel that now is a good time to be telling his story. I by no means thought I’d really feel so strongly about telling a gangster venture, however as a result of this man can be half Japanese, that feeling of by no means actually feeling like you slot in anyplace while you’re rising up and dealing actually arduous to be accepted by completely different teams of individuals actually resonated with me. So, I’d love to inform his story.
Additionally, I’ve to say, as a result of George Takei is in my documentary as nicely, I’m actually excited to be screening on the Newport Seashore Movie Pageant as a result of one of many first brief movies I ever acted in was with him in regards to the Japanese American internment camps, and it screened on the Newport Seashore Movie Pageant in 2018. So, this expertise with the documentary has been a cool full-circle second. There are different tales I’d like to be engaged on, and I hope that I can simply proceed.
[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]
