The Café Langham – Inspired Ideas Speaker Series welcomes Yellowknife film maker, France Benoit, to the Langham in Kaslo on Tuesday July 8 at 7 pm to show and discuss her film, KIRI’S PIANO. Inspired by Canadian folk singer James Keelaghan’s song of the same name, the film chronicles one woman’s sacrifice in the face of rampant prejudice tearing her Japanese-Canadian family apart. Kiri’s once joyful piano music turns bitter when forced re-location and internment take away her husband, her home and her family’s simple fishing life along the BC coast.
Like many people of Japanese descent, Kiri was forced to relocate to an internment camp during the war. The song is about her piano, her defiance and dignity. It is a poignant short film and Benoit says the support from Japanese Canadian communities have been enormous in making this film. She is excited to be hosted by both the Langham Japanese Canadian Museum and the New Denver Nikkei Centre.
The Langham’s Japanese Canadian Museum 2015 summer / fall Program Series includes Café Langhnam talks, a gallery exhibition, REGENERATION, and performance, a fundraising event, youth programs and a mini film festival. The Langham is excited to present this new series which is inspired by and dedicated to the Japanese Canadian citizens and their Asian cultural roots.
Along with the film, Kiri’s Piano, the new series highlights two celebrated local senior Japanese Canadian artists, Toru Fujibayashi (Nakusp) and Tsuneko Kokubo (Silverton) in their exhibition, REGENERATION (July 24 – Oct) with a gala opening and performance on July 24. On August 9, a special fund-raising event, THE WAY OF TEA, will pair locally made chocolate with special blended teas by Cloud Mountain Tea House from Nelson. Café Langham will present a talk on the history of tea in Japan, China and Korea at this event. Later in the month on August 25, Café Langham has invited Jim Tinkass, engaging raconteur, to speak about growing up in Kaslo during the 1930’s and 1940’s and the time during the internment of Japanese Canadians at the Langham. And in September the Langham Society is excited to present the first Japanese Film Festival to Kaslo on the weekend of September 25 and 26. Local world traveler, Elizabeth Ross, will close the Asian series with her Café Langham talk on her recent travels to CAMBODIA, MYANMAR AND VIETNAM in October. Join in the series… for more information visit www.thelangham.ca or phone 250.353.2661.