BEST DOCUMENTARY - Japan Film Festival Los Angeles | BEST DOCUMENTARY - Indo-Global International Film Festival | PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Vox Popular Media Arts Festival | BEST DOCUMENTARY - Dalmatia Film Festival | BEST MEDIUM LENGTH FILM - FIC AUTOR Film Festival | CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE - Dumbo Film Festival | HONORABLE MENTION DOCUMENTARY AWARD - Asians on Film Festival
Photography • Immigration • Japanese Internment • Nuclear Weapons Threat • Environmental Justice • History of Photography • Contemporary Art • Asian, Asian American
Date of Completion: 2018 | Run Time: 15 & 52 minutes | Language: English with Spanish subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Lynn Estomin | Producers: Lynn Estomin, Miguel Gandert, Patrick Nagatani & Andrew Smith
LIVING IN THE STORY documents thirty-five years of art-making by photographer Patrick Nagatani. The film portrays an artist deeply concerned with world events, who uses imagery and storytelling to raise awareness about modern anxieties, with an emphasis on the threat of nuclear weapons. Despite the serious content of his subject matter, his innovative images are compelling and entertaining. An engaging raconteur and teacher, Nagatani talks in the film about his projects, his unorthodox photographic techniques, and his subtle weaving together of fiction and fact. Scott Nagatani’s hauntingly beautiful music score provides the film’s soundtrack.
A short, 15 minute version of the film exploring three photographic of Nagatani’s series dealing with immigration, Japanese internment camps and nuclear weapons is also available. These issues are particularly relevant today, in light of escalating wars, toxic pollution, immigrant internment and a growing refugee population worldwide.
Amon Carter Museum | John Rohrbach, Senior Curator of Photographs
“I love it – I love that Patrick tells the tale entirely himself; that he steps beyond the front world of the filming to take me into his looping mind. The fun and of the journey comes across beautifully, yet also the political pointedness, punctuated by curt phrases like about becoming Catholic to fit in ‘but that didn't work.’"
University of New Mexico Art Museum | Mary Statzer, Curator of Prints & Photographs
“It's wonderful to hear Patrick's ideas expressed in his own voice alongside the work. The film is terrific!”
NY Japan Society | Joel Neville Anderson, JAPAN CUTS Programmer
“It’s a wonderful and breathless exploration of Nagatani’s diverse body of work and the themes and ideas he opens up. I really enjoyed it.”
Asian Movie Pulse | Arun Krisnan, Film Reviewer
“We get to witness how Patrick Nagatani finds magic through his art and later in life, how he would encourage his students to do the same. He combines photography, theater, painting and movie in the most unusual ways. What comes out is thought-provoking and spellbinding to say the least.”
AWARDS
Best Documentary | Japan Film Festival Los Angeles
Best Documentary | Indo Global International Film Festival
People's Choice Award | Vox Popular Media Arts Festival
Best Documentary | Dalmatia Film Festival
Best Medium Length Film | FIC AUTOR Film Festival
Certificate of Excellence | Dumbo Film Festival
Honorable Mention Documentary Award | Asians on Film Festival
FESTIVALS
ChangeFest
Social Justice Film Festival
Belfast Respect Human Rights Film Festival
Oaxaca FilmFest
Cinalfama Lisbon International Film Awards
Film Festival of Columbus
Japan Cuts Film Festival
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival
Austin Asian American Film Festival
Silver Screen International Film Festival