http://www.lodinews.com/display/inn_news/10_internment_030603.txt Film being shot in Delta tackles issue of World War II internment By Tricia Tomiyoshi/Lodi Living Editor Tuesday, June 03, 2003 A small piece of dusty farmland on McDonald Island in the Delta was transformed into a World War II Japanese American internment camp last weekend for the filming of a short movie entitled "A Day of Independence." The film set included wooden barracks, a guard tower and a simple baseball diamond. The 26-minute film is based on screenwriter and producer Tim Toyama's father's experience in a Japanese American relocation camp. It explores the internment experience that more than 120,000 West Coast-based Japanese Americans survived and the healing powers of baseball. "We chose to shoot in this area because we were looking for an isolated area with no modern buildings, houses, or power lines," said Chris Tashima, the film's director. "McDonald Island was an ideal piece of land." The Japanese-American community in San Joaquin County have supported the project by volunteering their time, building the set, providing food and refreshments and donating 1940s style clothing for the cast and extras. More than 200 extras from the area played internment camp residents during the three days of filming -- many of whom were interned in the camps during World War II. "It's good to see that story about these events are surfacing," said Katie Komure, an Angels Camp resident who was 19 when she entered a Japanese American internment camp. She volunteered her time to play an extra at the camp. "The experience was traumatic and I'm glad that the third generation of Japanese Americans are bringing the experience out there to remind people of that time," Komure said. Produced by Cedar Grove Productions, the filming finished in the area Sunday and the company will spend three more days in Los Angeles filming on a sound stage. The movie is scheduled to be completed by the fall. Cedar Grove Productions, formed by Tim Toyama and Chris Tashima, won a 1997 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for their first collaboration, "Visas and Virtues." [ 03. June 2003, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: Crapgame ]
I hope for a change that they do the film right and not the way Hollywood usually does war films.If they would just tell like it was and not add garbage to it like they did in Pearl Harbor then it may start a trend of good war films for the public to see.(although I am not going to hold my breath !)