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WHAT IS OMOIYARI?

 
 

 

A Japanese word that means to have sympathy and compassion towards another person. A universal concept in human interaction that is required for a sustainable society. It is the bedrock of the film.

Kishi Bashi explores how empathy and the lack of it has played key roles in our modern quest for social equality. 

 
 
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ABOUT THE FILM

 

 

Violinist and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi travels on a musical journey to understand WWII era Japanese Incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today.

When a media interview links the muslim ban and the immigration crisis at the USA-Mexico border with the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during WWII, Ishibashi goes on a journey to learn about this history and its relevance. Along the way, he improvises and writes music in an effort to better understand his own identity as a bi-cultural American. Using never before seen archival footage from the camps, mixed with breathtaking visual storytelling, Kaoru weaves a story using history, music and current events to create a portrait of America from the perspective of someone caught between two worlds.

 

 

 
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 ABOUT THE ALBUM

 

Omoiyari is Kishi Bashi’s fourth album following the acclaimed 151a (2012), Lighght (2014), and Sonderlust (2016), which have garnered serious acclaim from outlets including NPR Music, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, and his most important yet. Many of the songs were initially inspired by history and oppression,
and he deftly weaves tales of love, loss, and wanting to connect listeners to the past. Channeling the hard-learned lessons of history, Omoiyari is an uncompromising musical statement on the turbulent sociopolitical atmosphere of present-day America. The album
was released May 31st, available on all online platforms and you can purchase Vinyl/CD
HERE. To read the NY Times article click HERE!

 

“A GENTLE BUT INSISTENT MUSICAL MANIFESTO ON THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AMERICA”

FILM THREAT

 

“A STUNNING DOCUMENTARY ABOUT KISHI BASHI’S OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY IN EXPLORING HIS PAST AS HE LOOKS FOR INSPIRATION FOR HIS LATEST MUSICAL PROJECT”

THE AU REVIEW

 

“A MOVING EXPERIENCE”

UNSEEN FILMS

 

“AN UPLIFTING DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A MUSICIAN, BUT ALSO ABOUT SYMPATHY, COMPASSION, AND BASIC HUMANITY”

SCREEN ZEALOTS

 

“OFFERS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE BI-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING ART ON THE ARTIST’S OWN TERMS”

INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER

 
 
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THE TEAM

 We would like to thank everyone who has donated and supported Omoiyari throughout the years. Your donations and patience mean so much to us, and we can’t thank you enough for your contribution to this beautiful film. thank you.

Drew Wallin - Ezra Glass - Travis Rice - Mieko Ishibashi - Jessie Lowe Kang - Stacey Merrill - Todd Smith - Nathan Paczan - Bernard O’Brien

Isao Ishibashi - Pamela Smith - Nathaniel Graf - Tony Verderosa - Rich Siegel - Ginger Plaster - Casey Roy - Ann Meeker-O’Connell

Izzet Safer - Jesse Endo Rendleman - Akiko Endo Rendleman - Matthew Keogh - Isabella Cass - Mary Lundregan - Layla Korey

Peggy Juriga - John Ludwig - Keiko Nakama - Joshua Norman - Lance Bustrum - Jeffy Denight - Lisa Yamamura - Amy Heaney

Kate Madara - Stewart Parker - Skylar Sokol - Adam Goldberg - Benjamin Wrench - Sarah Wrench - Uta Heil - Paul Stanzi - Lisa Stanzi

Kay Maruhashi - Heath DeJean - Julian Wiebe - Adam Page - Chris Smith - Rich Braendel - Delmar Hill - Michael Seaman

Erin Maruzzella - Rosetta E Lee - Gerek Whitman - Takumi Harada - Meghan Apper - Louis Calderon - Daniel Klein - Jeffrey Smith

Keith McDowell - Christopher Tsai - Dustin Randall - Angela Hopkins - Shane Boyar - Brenda Boyar - Nancy Hartness - Charlie Hartness

Colette Masunaga - Hiroshi Kondo - James Marsh - Misa Asada - Dave Kumar - Neal Priest - Christopher Preston - Stephen Elliott

Mark McCarthy - Anastasia Sobotka - Layla Korey - Mark Schurgin - Hanako Wakatsuki - Corie Jones - Louisa Garner - Flynn Fletcher

Nicholas Blenkarn - Elise Blenkarn - Matt Justus - Amanda Halstead - Amy Ifurung-Cook - May Hong - Jonathan Brunner - Dan Siercks

Dylan J Moriarty - Josh Forsythe - Casey Milford - Carol Bardon - Joe Bardon - Theresa Lee - Sarah Wolff - Bethany Aldecoa

Samuel Timberg - Janna Gibson - Denise Palke - Catherine Oki - Michael J Cornwall - Emilio Grijalva - Julia Vonder Reith - John Frierson

Taylor Rose - Marla Laminack - Lillian Tuttle - Liz Kuenstner - Andrew Bardon - Heather Hale - Rob Hale - Nobukazu Suzuki - Adam Fowler

Stephen Gill - Alon Steuer - Jeanne Sullivan Meissner - Farah Ismail - Coralie Richard - Francis Phan - Heather Born - Catherine Galbraith

Shaina Akidau - Peter Malek - Shane Hiroshi Gilber - Atticus Sims - Lindsay Young - Cullan Bendig - Madalena Elshoff - Colin Mitchell

Jeffrey Okamoto - Trevor Knoblich - Allison Takata Edmiston - Sara Beresford - Alex Kloppenburg - Rob McRae - Tyson Logan

Derek Fujikawa - Nicholas Quaglia - Ben Sutphin - Anthony Vitale - Michele Stange - David Stange - Amy Reilly - Karen Gerow

Tiffany Payne - Alexander Chong - Ricardo Chang - Taryn Okuma - Marilyn Estes - Sharon Hayashida - Katie Minalga - Denise McMahon

Lalita Jaroenchonwanit - Rebecca Matteson - Hans E Hyttinen - Samantha Evaristo - Heather Thomson - Angela Cummings - Jamie Beckwith

Sara Burnside Menuck - Glen Hansman - Laurie Merrell - Eric Henry - Karen Volinski - Emma Harris - Mikolai Kawai - James Nguyen

Lori Araki - Reid Sata - Erik Kloppenburg - Mary Petrich-Guy - Ryan Chancoco - Mary Powers - Adam Joseph Morgan

Derek Colt Robinson - Bill Floeter - Emma Singer - Merry Michalsen - Emily Glazner - David Lewis - Mika Tanaka - Angela Kim

Daniel Saisho - Jason Huffer - Kathryn Cohen - Rachel Fong - Ashley White - Laurel Purtle - Charlie Dyrsten - Sho Fuji - Jeremy Reed

Eunha Jeong Wood - Margaret Kihara - Kylie Chan - Timothy M. Dillon - Victoria O’Connell - Jane Pettman - Christopher Knotts

Ryan Murphy - Emily Jackson - Nikki Hana Collister - Lawrence Fine - Anne Olson - Andrew Sy - Lindy Weaver - Barbara Horiuchi

Heather L Kawamoto - Paul Hundelt - Sheila Barboza - Casey Moeller - Ivy Lee Nehamkin - Kerri Hamagami-Postill - John Hamagami-Postill

Taylor F Keefe - Alex Wang - Christina Parkhurst - Tyler Kaneshiro - Joyce Aiko Miyagishima - Stephanie McKinnon - Matthew McKinnon

Allison Chang - Susan Pace - Hope Dunleavy - Ben Averill - Deana Hopkins - Evelyn Cerda - Michael Todd - Giorgio Izzo - Cheryl Klisch

Jorge Sanchez Redondo - Jonathan Davenport - Matthew Warren - Simon Russell - Michael Iwasiw - Christopher Ainscough - Nick Curley

Elizabeth Crawshaw - Shinny Stephanie Gauss - Joseph Kathmann - Derek S Jung - David Fujioka - Tara Wiegert - Angela Davies

Joe Carlough - Erik Millan - Lukas Fritsch - Jesus Garza - Richard T. Pacheco - Dan M Hapanowicz - Nick Gogal - Lynn Sagerdahl

Erica WIlliams - Daniel So - Mia Russell - Thomas OBrien - Kylie McCarthy - Dean Viggiano - Denise Porter - Anaelle Martin - Ryan Algenio

Jake Watson - Benjamin Bridge - Asher Woolverton - Anthony Mulhern - Donna Murakami-Kanights - Connor Tredway - Maggie Kroeker

Katherine McGonigle - Arthur N Hicks II - Raynell Lee - Linda Sacks - Maria Ludwig - Daniel Marzella - Sean J. Tracey - Rennly Williams

Duncan McGuire - Alexander Frye - Michelle Puckett - Virginia Seward - Susan Schmidt - Sara Caswell - Catherine R Melton - Ruth Pena

Masahiro Kubo - Janel Apps Ramsey - Susanne Morsberger - Maya Contreras - Fuka Asano - Sebastian Wallenius - Ken Yamamoto

Michael Timmons - John Capati - Ashley Toutain - Sara Birch - Peter Malek - Laura Beitler - Jeffrey Kutler - Michael Yotive - Kalev Vaigro

Andrew Langridge - Greg Dykema - Roddy Jacobson - Logan Holman - Wil Holder - Alexander Freeman - Gianna Gibo - Marya Elise

Ryan Love - Marjorie Costa - Rob Flax - Parry Cadwallader - Michael Armstrong - Matthew Christodoulou - William Langford - Cathy Chang

Stephanie Troka - Robert Reed - Emily Kohl - Jesse Milinovich - Natasha Varner - Nicholas Montgomery - Paul Debraski - Brittany Makufka

James Miller - Ellen Woodoff - Stephanie Heath - Melinda Edwards - Duane Hass - Kaua Sproat - Joanna Tong - Ashley Robinson

Rob Riemersma - Alexa Bautista - Lalita Jartmcwaters - Valerie Edwards - Marcy Donelson - Cyrus Quan - Stephen Kropa - Matthew Bertsch

Andrew Freese - Sooze Bloom DeLeon Grossman - Sarah Elizabeth - Laura Desrosiers - Pat Allan - Keith Tokoly - Ashley Mick

Velta Vasarinsh - Paula Mulvaney - Kat Rivers - Cari Reynolds - Lauren Gramprey - Jerry Nakata - Christopher Sugiuchi - Joel Stegall

Brian Crottyshayase - Amy Barbemarisa lyon - Walter Brown - Julie Matsubura - Arin Puckett - Kelly Nissen - Paul Gaspardo

Courtney Hong - Miyuki Rapp - Linsay Oakden - Bonnie Glenn - Megan Zuccato - Alison Herman - Rob Stone - Tyler Simmons

Catriona McFarlan - Kathryn Kyker - Jenny Peters - Jessica Paine - Bente Sirin Barge - FJ Miller - Shane Lobsinger - Daniel Yang

Stephanie Wallace - Cody Smith - Laura Painter - David Butler - Daniel Pollock - Marissa Krumm - Vicki Rehkopf - Buddy Rehkopf

Anuj Opal - Alex Johnson - Rachel Parks - Becky Smith - Kim Ayers - Sarah Thorpe - Chris Hamby - Andrea Putman - Andrea Putman

Rowena LeungIan Sims - Nik Vaughn - Keiko Ito Gray - Brent Jefferson - Brent Evans - Aaron Johnston - Erica Klein - Janet Ikeda Yuba

Kei Kataoka - Lillie Sauer - Robert Bryan - Shannon Rody - Christina Willard - Mia Bean - Donnatella Alexander - Christy Christophel

Joseph Morgan - Rita Larkin - Nikki Moore - Taylor Handleton - Sarah Bonsall - Antje Boijens - Deborah Craddock-Bell - Jordan Brunsma

Tamarinda Douglas - Justin Wong - Kimberly Sloan - Miles Cederman-Haysom - Barbara Stenson-Dorr - Jennifer Simmonds - Asif Zahid

John Kowalchuk - Alaina Komlenic - Kristi Nakata - Arisa Hara - David Bruder - Rikki Foster - Michael Alvino - Emma Settlemyre

Gloria Chu - Kelly Kuritar - Mitchell Franklin - Jono Lacy - Megan Levacy - Stacy Kitahata - Claire Sagerdahl - Cassie Newman

Danna Baida - Geneva Harstine - Kelsi Ida - Zoe Coles - Scott Wade - Matthew Townley-Smith - James Bianconi - Mara Bragg

Rebecca Glucklich - Allison Rosecast - Ellen Maurer - Jess Swazey - Shannon Anderson - Sarah Norton - Stephanie Barstow - Rebecca Wade

Reilly Villanueva - Kaori Yamamoto - Jennifer He - Caleigh Derreberry - Kathryn Igarashi - Dani Marquez - Jason Burgess - Jarred Romley

Alisa Lazer - Margaret Mixon - Andrew Haupert - Lindsey Swan - Jennifer T. Nguyen - Meredith Nichter - Stephen Yamada - Sandra Sakai

Sean Murphy - Amanda Ong - Anqi Chen - Aimee Pond - Linda Wing - Blake Snyder - Jayme Gualtier - Benjamin L Thompson

Kimly Phamvan - David Pehrson - Harry Glyde - Antoinette Bumatay - Richard Premvaree - Patrick Doherty - Natalie Lei

Matthew Gibson - Nathan Laake - Dan Bergren - Sasha Hanako Duran - Sarah Ballard Molway - Jessica Olson - Kathleen McDonald

Sundee Calhoun - J. Zachary Scrim - Renee Abeln - Leigh Knittle - Sherin Bennett - Rosalie Stillford - Matt Clark - Matthew Feist

Tara Verma - Joseph Devoto - Christian Burk - Brendan Gallagher - Drake Boling - Melissa Mangini - Sofia Miranda - Marianne Ciaudo

Lee Ann Glowzenski - Heather Kelly - Jack Baldwin - Nathaniel T Grant - Mary Urashima - Erick Dowell - Apryl Blakeney - Brooke Losey

Sheila Kenny - Shannon Winholtz - Ryan Leggett - Lena Shichijo - Lesley Potts - Yiting L - Jess Brown - Michael Gasparino - Nicole Bullock

Julie Dery - Alicia Meadows - Alice Li - Kevin Wessels - Emily Nurminen - Jessi Taylor - Zachary Strudler - Melissa Haghighat

Joshua Horowitz - Nathan Bragg - Virginia Booth - James Pawlik - Oscar Chen - Eli L Adam - Megan Petrillo - Katherine N McCrea

Adam Warneke - Madeline Francis - Makayla McDonald - Cecilia Oehl - Lily Lam - Leah Missik - Sarah Bradley - Meghan Concra

Max Shokrollahzadeh - Annie Donovan - Michelle Huang - Jenny Madriaga - Yoshimasa Asada - Miwaza Jemimah - Mari Christmas

Magdalena Lewis - Katelyn Zimmerman - Rebecca McLean - Julie Lawrenz - Forest Bell - Erin Shigaki - James Minick - Tom Dolan

Jamie Lee - Misako Ito - Fredrik Aaro - Amber Thompson - Lydia Kass - Bob O'Connor - Alexis Baker - Linda Yoshida - Kelly Luce

Erika Polner - Kathleen Wolff - Josh Humbert - Kathy Morisette - Makoto Ohkawa - Jacob Wilson - Nicholas Rogers - Amelia M Chong

Justin Lau - Summer Hoppenworth - Samantha Hong - Jesse Davidson - Hieu Nguyen - Allison Ong - Emily Pfeif - Louise Wright

Heather Johnson - Owen Michiel Ramirez - Jordan Hoxsie - Keego Gross - Katey Robinson - Tanner Mikus - Lagan Mikus - AJ Schultz

Sarah Sweeney - Maisie Vollans - Ash Stanley - Carol Pinard Cronin - Yasmine Yu - Carver Oblander - Krista Vollack - Robert Huntsimonds

Kyle Gentner - Becca Glass - Austen Gabrielpillai - Catie Miller - Michelle Nemeth Puckett - Maggie Pluskota - Austin Benjamin

Fern Zalin Jones - Adam Heath - Priyanka Arora - Robert Yohnka - Ren Gooch - Laura Plant - Anna Lee Swan - Molly Nakahara

Brad Younggren - Fredrik Angstrí - Alta Gowins - Isaac Knopf - Burke Austen - Hideki Obayashi - Sara Pajunen - Simon Coats

Anita Kennedy - Jonathan Zemel - Jason Richards - Karen Gwee - Margaret Barry - Bondy Daa - Tabitha Shook - Darryl Dobson

Brett Fujii - Wendy Oshima - Sybil Zimmerman - Sarah Ehlers - Lucinda Mance - Filament A Collab Lab - Heather Addor

Nicholas Visser - Stephen Huseby - Jeff Christoffersen - Michael Mahon - Ruhi Spann - Lukas Brabenec - Christine Donz - Michael Petricone

Jenna Groth - Aron Fini - Jeff Hendler - Brandon Hashimoto - Jonathan Kellenberg - Jane Yokoyama - Luke Garner - Lindsay Maizland

David Harris - Corey McKrill - Andy Wills - Matt McGuigan - Osito Patagi - Wes Robertson - Ricardo Veloz - Benjamin Bruce

Kaylyn Mercuri - Will Flowers - Jordan Magnuson - Jennifer Bach - Benjamin Echternacht - Brendan Keyworth - Jamie Whalen - Matt Marlin

Cameron Turner - Dave Stadley - Craig Faye - B M Cirillo - Anne Ferguson - Em Wider - Scobbert Rott - Sul Comics - Christopher Hua

Amber Huston - Kristen Gluch - Casper Lidsle - Laura Feldman - Sayuri Miyazaki - Matthew Josten - Preeth Meka - Emily Doran

Alan Herrick - Deanna Wong - Geoffrey Raposo - Steven Dennett - Lucas Larimore - Michael Macken - Michael Nye - Laura Childers-Maistros

Eric Krispin - Lisa Jo Reboton - Mike Javorsky - Sarah Kuehnle - Ludovic Boichat - Roger Shepard - Abby Hughes - Steve Fish

Ellen Meisterling - Sarah Edgar - Ellen Greer - Jessica Tran - Stephanie Peterson Ling - Vic Biggerstaff - Wyck Sweeney - Grace Pugh