San Diego Asian Film Festival 2009

Drawing from his experiences as a JET (Japanese English Teaching program) in Kochi Prefecture in the 1990s, American filmmaker Aaron Woolfolk wrote and directed THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE, also produced by Danny Glover. This poignant melodrama tells the story of an African American man from San Francisco who goes on a journey to Japan seeking the truth about the life and death of his estranged son Mickey in a rural Japanese town.

Daniel, played by Ben Guillory, had stopped speaking to Mickey for many years after his son’s decision to move to Japan to teach and paint. Daniel’s father died as a Japanese POW during WWII, leaving many emotional wounds with Daniel and causing him to feel an extreme prejudice towards the Japanese. Daniel makes it his mission to recover all of Mickey’s paintings in Japan and return them to the US. Mickey’s friends in Japan welcome Daniel with a great warmth and respect that he cannot seem to return in the least. Daniel’s impatience, ingratitude and prejudice only snowballs into problems for everyone involved, until eventually, he discovers a life-altering secret that will force him to reassess his feelings and actions.

For anyone who has lived as a foreigner in another country, THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE and its cross cultural lessons cannot be missed. It is a distinct portrayal of how people develop cultural understanding and the undeniable universal need for love and peace. – Mye Hoang

Director Aaron Woolfolk and actor Ben Guillory are scheduled to attend Oct 24.

Co-presented by:
Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana