Great Grandfather's Drum - Production & Contact Info

Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
57 min | Documentary, Music

Primary photo for Great Grandfather's Drum

Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)

57 min | Documentary, Music

The award-winning documentary "Great Grandfather's Drum" celebrates Japanese-American culture and history in Hawai'i. It is an inspiring century-long story of struggle and success in the greatest American tradition, of labor on Hawaii's ...See moreThe award-winning documentary "Great Grandfather's Drum" celebrates Japanese-American culture and history in Hawai'i. It is an inspiring century-long story of struggle and success in the greatest American tradition, of labor on Hawaii's sugar plantations, patriotic heroism during World War II, and helping to create statehood for Hawai'i. The story unfolds through an intimate and joyful portrait of Maui Taiko, a contemporary Japanese-American drum ensemble, descendants of plantation workers, and as told by elders who lived this history. Kay Fukumoto and her family formed Maui Taiko to continue the tradition of Obon Taiko music brought to Hawai'i from Fukushima, Japan by her great grandfather and others a century ago. These families handed down taiko traditions through five generations in Hawai'i. The film includes Maui Taiko's dynamic performances on the giant drums, and we travel with the members of the ensemble on a heartfelt journey back to Fukushima to seek their ancestral roots. Americans of Japanese ancestry are one of the largest ethnic groups in Hawai'i. The film was first broadcast on PBS Hawai'i, it was named an Official Selection at the 2011 Yamagata Film Festival in Japan (the largest documentary film festival in Asia), at the 2012 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, and has been honored with a 2011 Telly Award and 2011 Aurora Award. Shortly after the film was released a major earthquake and tsunami affected Fukushima, and the film was screened in the US to raise funds to help with recovery efforts. Written by Cal Lewin See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
47 cast members

Name	Known for
Kay Fukumoto Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Maui Taiko Players Musicians Musicians See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Lynn Araki Regan Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Hiroshi Arisumi Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Jane Azeka Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
May Fujiwara Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Ronald Fukumoto Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Mitchell Fukumoto Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Florence Hasegawa Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Beverly Hiranaga Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Paul Hiranaga Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kiana Hiranaga Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kalena Hiranaga Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Moana Hirata Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Arnold Hiura Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Isamu Honda Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Susanne Hotta Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kristen Kagoshima Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kelsie Kagoshima Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Beatrice Kashiwa Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Robert Kawaguchi Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Gaylord Kubota Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Andrew Kutsunai Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Tonya Murray Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Payin' the Price (2011)
Ezra Weisz Musician Musician See fewer	Paprika (2006)
Brian Nagami Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Brian Niiya Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Amache: An American Injustice (2024)
Seiya Ohata Interviewee (as Dr. Seiya Ohata) Interviewee (as Dr. Seiya Ohata) See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Stephanie Ohigashi Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Leonard Yasuo Oka Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Stanley Okamoto Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kristine Omura Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kenji Oyama Interviewee (as Reverend Kenji Oyama) Interviewee (as Reverend Kenji Oyama) See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Hideo Saito Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Kumika Soga Interviewee (as Reverend Kumika Soga) Interviewee (as Reverend Kumika Soga) See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Yuki Lei Sugimura Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Michael Sugimura Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Shinichi Suzuki Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Ken Tasaka Dancer Dancer See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Rene Tomita Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Meyer Ueoka Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Albert Watanabe Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Ayako Watanabe Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Lin Watanabe Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Sharon Westfall Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)
Erin Westfall Interviewee / Musician Interviewee / Musician See fewer	DID/didn't (2021)
Masuru Pundy Yokouchi Interviewee Interviewee See fewer	Great Grandfather's Drum (2011)

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