Saturday, December 12, 1 – 4pm
Still from Robert Nakamura's short film Manzanar (1971).
$15; members and students free
About the Event
Today’s program features a selection of short films curated by film and media specialist Rob Buscher. Since the last War Relocation Authority prison camp closed in the wake of World War II, Japanese Americans have experienced the long-term effects of intergenerational trauma. For survivors and their descendants, camp remains a pivotal moment in their family histories. The selected films explore the impact of camp on past and present generations of Japanese American artists and filmmakers, whose works have been inspired by the lasting power of place these physical sites evoke. A lecture by Buscher and an audience Q&A will follow the screening.
Held in the Comcast NBCUniversal Auditorium, this program is presented alongside Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Postwar America and includes access to the Barnes collection.
The Films
Manzanar (1971)
Directed by Robert Nakamura
In this lyrical and pensive documentary, a Nisei reflects on his childhood incarceration at the Manzanar camp and the enduring effects of internment on his adult life.
Duration: 17 min.
DUST (2025)
Directed by Glenn Mitsui
DUST is a visual poem honoring eight men killed by military police while imprisoned in US camps during World War II.
Duration: 13 min.
When Rabbit Left the Moon (2017)
Directed by Emiko Omori
A short lyrical reflection by Emiko Omori, producer of the award-winning Rabbit in the Moon.
Duration: 15 min.
The Crystal City (2018)
Directed by Kenya Gillespie
In a remote desert town in Southwest Texas, the memories of a lost WWII internment camp are uncovered.
Duration: 13 min.
Curator and Speaker
Rob Buscher
Buscher is a film and media specialist, curator, and writer who has led nonprofit organizations for over a decade. A mixed-race Yonsei, Buscher has taught at the University of Pennsylvania’s Asian American Studies Program since 2017. He is producer and host of Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation’s podcast Look Toward the Mountain and PBS WHYY’s TV series Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders: A Philadelphia Story. He is currently co-producing a feature-length documentary about the Sansei HIV/AIDS activist Kiyoshi Kuromiya.
Sponsor
Support of Barnes Cinema is generously provided by Philadelphia City Fund’s 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO.
Go Further
Daily Gallery Talks
Every day, our gallery specialists offer talks about the Barnes collection. Learn more about our history, founder, and collection.
On Practice: Pew Fellows in Conversation
This new speaker series features 2025 Pew Fellows in the Arts in candid conversations about what it takes to be an artist.
Deep Dive: Radio Nurse by Isamu Noguchi
An in-depth discussion about the designer’s 1937 baby monitor. Free with admission; Roberts Gallery