Opening Film
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©︎Hiroshi Sunairi
Japan Premiere
『From Okinawa with Love』
Director: Hiroshi Sunairi
2022/101 minutes/Japan, United States/Japanese, English/FHD
An Okinawan photographer, Mao Ishikawa, spent her early 20s working as a barmaid in establishments specifically catering to African-American GIs stationed in Okinawa. The tagline, "There was love," encapsulates the essence of her photography book, "Red Flower – The Women of Okinawa," which captures the intimacy of friendships, love affairs, and wild nights shared within her social circle during that period. Mao's photos reflect the wake of Okinawa's transformation in 1972 and explore various themes such as history, politics, racism, love, empowerment, and raison d'être.
<Director Profile>
Hiroshi Sunairi
Born in Hiroshima in 1972, Hiroshi Sunairi currently resides in New York City. Over the last decade, Sunairi has been creating film works, exploring and experimenting with the content and form of documentary/fiction films. Sunairi delves into personal issues, collective memory, and the public sphere, crafting each film with a unique approach and style.