Directed by Robert A. Nakamura • 1976 • United States
Completed in 1975 as his Master’s Thesis project at the UCLA Film School, Robert A. Nakamura’s WATARIDORI: BIRDS OF PASSAGE stands as one of the quintessential documentary portraits celebrating the legacy of the issei, or first-generation Japanese Americans. A still-unequalled study of early Asian American community-building, this poetic documentary couples the perspectives of three issei elders with rich archival images and footage, while bridging generations through scenes from the Manzanar pilgrimages.
Up Next in Robert A. Nakamura
-
Hito Hata: Raise the Banner
Directed by Robert A. Nakamura and Duane Kubo • 1980 • United States
Starring Mako, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Pat MoritaThe first feature-length film made by and about Asian Pacific Americans, Robert A. Nakamura and Duane Kubo’s HITO HATA: RAISE THE BANNER captures the contributions and hardships of J...
-
Third Act
Directed by Tadashi Nakamura • 2025 • United States
Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “the Godfather of Asian American media,” but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging ma...
