Heart of Vision Blog

When: Saturday December 9th
Where: 66 Sanchez St. Between 14th and Duboce
(wheel chair accessible)
Time: 4-5:30pm

You are invited to a benefit to help preserve the important oral history traditions of our time. Heart of Vision: I Lived Before You is a one-hour documentary of Bay Area man Takashi Tanemori, who as a child survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Now in his 70s, nearly blind because of the radiation fall out, he continues his process toward physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Please join us for a work-in-progress screening of the project and a chance to talk with Mr. Tanemori and the filmmakers.

The event is free
All ages welcome

4:00 Music-Markus Hawkins
drinks and snacks

4:15 Slide show from Mr. Tanemori’s trip
to Japan for the 60th anniversary of
the Atomic bombing.

4:30 Screening of excerpts from Heart of Vision

4:45 Q&A with Filmmakers and Mr. Tanemori

5:15 Closing Remarks

It seems as though the last post was last year on this day. Well, much has happened. In the winter of 05 the trailer went on line. We used this to find initial funding which came from the Pacific Pioneer Fund in May of this 06. I used the funds to edit for the entire summer. After assembling the material from Japan and from the past 5 years that I have known Takashi the video is taking form. A few people have seen sections from the edit and have given insightful and honest feedback. After reflecting on where I am with the project I can see the video’s structure and flow in my mind.

What is new to the video? A narration that reflects my reasons for making this video. As some of you know, I met Takashi soon after 9/11. On that day I was flying from Orlando Florida to San Francisco. Our plane was diverted and stranded in Atlanta Georgia for 5 days. During this time I developed a relationship with an elderly couple whom was also on the same flight. Their presence and kind nature had a tremendous effect on me. In turn I was able to help find us a hotel, and help with their luggage. In truth we were helpless and could do nothing if it were not for the assistance and professional nonstop efforts of the men and women who worked in the airports and hotels. Those weeks were different than any I have ever experienced. Despite of the tragedy, a close related feeling was created and shared by many strangers. I had my camera during this entire experience and documented these positive relations.

When I returned home I read an article that featured Takashi and 5 years later a meaningful journey continues to take place. And a video will soon tell this story.

The direction Heart of Vision is heading is clear.

The relationships formed on 9/11 and eventually the relationship Takashi and I developed over 5 years that cumulated to our Trip to Japan and his personal often difficult Journey back to the home of his incredible sister Satsuko are very much intertwined.

Currently I am developing this narration into the structure of the video and including the footage from 9/11. The final video will be an hour format and my goal is to have the editing completed by august of 07.

Also a friend has translated the many hours of interviews that I taped of Satsuko and Takashi. Miyuki, who lives in Tokyo, worked for the entire summer to translate this important meeting between brother and sister. This section is the climax of the video’s story.

It has been 3 weeks since we have returned from Japan. Mr. Tanemori is bed ridden because of a giant hole in his leg caused by a staph infection he contracted in Tokyo and Jeremy and I are exhausted and in culture shock. What do we have to show for it? We have 60 hours of material and a fantastic movie to make.

All the preparation that was done before the trip was essential. From the grant writing to the Benefit, the energy we received from the people here in America was equaled to the energy we received from the people in Japan. It was amazing to see many people from different cultures extend themselves to the project in the same spirit.

We met people in Japan who were excited yet perplexed about our efforts in making this movie. In short, they could not believe that two young Americans would spend their own money and time for the documentary about Mr. Tanemori. (I am not sure what Japan thinks of the Youth here in America. What does America think of Japan’s youth?) We received much support either in small financial contributions from monks or a place to sleep and food to eat from old ladies.

The movie that will be made is much more than what I had written down on paper before hand. Heart of Vision I Lived Before You has all the elements of drama and romance. The main story is about the spiritual journey each individual must embark upon and the relationships between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and between generations. The action ranges from karaoke bar room brawls, to the reconciliation of Family Feuds. There is enough heartache, tears, sacrifice and hysteric laughter to tell many stories. There are also plenty of exotic, traditional and festival dances in the mix that illustrates the diversity of Japanese culture and expression.

The months leading up to Christmas break will be busy. Jeremy and I have a schedule planned so that we can take the production to the next level. By Christmas we will have a trailer edited together to show all of you. This trailer will be a glimpse at the style and form this movie will take in the long run.

Once this is completed then we can use it to raise financial support from organizations and foundations that also want this story to be told.

It is my hope that by this time next year the movie will be completed.

Thank you everyone from the depths of my heart for making this trip possible. I can’t wait to show you what happened.

Hello everyone, here are some photos of Takashi’s meeting with Satsuko, and a few others.

how do you teach a seven year old not to take more food on their plate than they can eat?

how do you teach someone who has not lived through a nuclear blast what that day was really like?

as a traveling pack of 5 people and a guide dog, spanning 3 generations, bridging 2 cultures, all individuals, we are a community in miniature. when sharing our experiences, we reinterpret and understand through the eyes of our own personal life story.

i have been putting on a bit of a belly in trying to help kimina, the youngest (if you consider yuki the guide dog’s 3 years in dog years) member of our traveling circus, finish her plates at meal time. speaking of “waste not want not” and “starving children in africa” gets met with a blank stare or a shrug (or maybe it’s my lousy japanese?). we were talking this morning and takashi said that you just can’t teach that kind of understanding, it’s something you must experience viscerally, personally. very true.

and so thinking about how we come to understanding, i am wondering how much i can really understand about the horror of what took place in hiroshima and nagasaki. probably not too much.

i have heard arguments on both sides about the justification for or against dropping the atomic bomb. are these arguments really still necessary? what have we gained from all these arguments? the nuclear threat is well alive today.

i have spent a good deal of my years standing in judgement, without realizing how little i knew. all the arguing i have done with friends and folk has not netted me any great deal of satisfaction or success. nor has the arguing i have done with myself. the best i can do is to truly listen, and to hope that i will be listened to when it’s my turn to speak. and to listen to myself, deep inside, where the real conversation is taking place.

August 6th, 2005

I woke up to mosquito bites at 5am. We are staying at the Miyoshi Grand Hotel. One Train Stop from Kotachi Village; the town where Takashi and his surviving family members fled to after the bombing of Hiroshima. This is where his mother’s mother lived. Today this is where his sister Satsuko-San lives. On the 5th of August we met Satsuko-san for the second time. We took a train from Miyoshi to Kotachi at noon. When we arrived the heat was like no other day we experienced. Sweat dripped into eyes. We exited the train station and there was Satsuko waiting for us with two taxis.

Our first stop was her family’s grave site. This is where her father, mother, grandparents and sibilings are burried. Satsuko gave us ice cold hand towels to cool our faces. Yuki found shade under a Sakura Tree. Satsuko also had a jug of water to pour over the marble grave marker for her family and ancestors spirits. Our stay was brief. As a group we were acclimating to one another.

Takashi and Satsuko were orphaned after the war. Their struggle for survival and maintaining as a family unit was very difficult. They had little help from society. The distance grew between the siblings after 1956 when Takashi decided to immigrate to the United States. I would like to talk with Satsuko about this when we see her next on Obon.

After the grave site we went back to Her daughter’s home where the family photo albums are kept. I saw many many pictures of Takashi as a young boy with his brothers and sisters. grandparents and cousins. This was the first time Takashi ever saw these photos. My guess is that Satsuko and her oldest sister carried the photo albums out of Hiroshima when they evacuated weeks before August 6th 1945. There are many reasons we were able to meet with Satsuko today. The first reason was the letter that I wrote to her. Two friends translated it into Japanese. Thank you Kana and Sayako. The second reason is because of the bridge that Yukiko Kagami was able to create between Takashi and Satsuko during the closed meeting at the Kouksai hotel in Hiroshima. This occured after Satsuko called Yukiko on her cell the night before we left for Hiroshima. Two days later Satsuko came to Hiroshima to meet with her brother and to unload her feelings. The most important reason that today manifested itself the way it did- Was due to Satsuko’s immense and strong Heart. To settle her heart’s conflict with her younger brother she had no other choice but to confront these emotions at the source. Birds fly from the chest.

During our time with her Takashi kept his distance and Yukiko and Satsuko did most of the talking. Her stories about survival after the war impacted Takashi greatly. His approach to life and Satsuko’s are very similar. Both said that they were able to survive post war hardships due to the teachings of their parents. At this point Satsuko’s minature dog startled the young Kimina. She screamed and slid across the floor to her mother. Yukiko carrying Kimina in her arms excused herself from the room. Satsuko scolded the dog. The dog licks it’s lips. I saw all this through the viewfinder.

The next half hour Takashi and Satsuko looked over the photo albums alone. I asked Takashi to be my translator. What Satsuko communicated from her heart shook Takashi, Jeremy and myself. I sat across from Takashi and Satsuko. I saw the same river-split into two rivers. Together with the photo albums and stories I felt the source of the river in my heart. I am grateful for that time we shared.

Later on, Satsuko told us that she was a dancer. She has danced for 30 some years. She hurridly went upstairs and got ready. By this time Kimina recovered from her dog trauma. Satsuko danced for us in her living room. Today she is a master teacher of this traditional dance.

By the end of our meeting she had invited all of us to stay the night of the 7th which is tomorrow nite. Currently Kimina is steadfast against this sleep over. On the 8th, we split up till our meeting in Kobe. Jeremy and I will remain in Kotachi for a few days. Satsuko has invited us to homestay with her. An honor. A true honor.

Later that nite Jeremy and I went to the roof of the parking lot in Miyoshi. Hundreds of crows flew west towards the setting sun and the rising cumulus clouds. A cold and warm front met in the distance. Thunder and Lightening storms were preparing for the next day.

August 6th, 2005. Today I woke up scratching the mosquito bites. Today we would search for a long lost love. A woman who held Takashi’s heart together during his tumultuous years as a confused enraged teen living in the small town of Kotachi. Today the sky tore open and the rain fell. Unlike the black sticky rain of of 60 years ago, this rain is forceful and cleansing. Lightening over Kotachi. The rivers swell.

More after Obon

We　are on our last days in hiroshima. I am ready to leave and to move onto our next city. We will be traveling to kotachi village where Takashi grew up. Hopefully we will meet his sister again. I am looking forward to seeing her dance.

The sentiment that i am hearing in Hiroshima in regards to the mass crowds that descend upon this city on the 6th, is resentment towards outsiders coming to town telling them how they should deal with their wounds. Yes Hiroshima belongs to the world, and its lessons should be learned by all. After the 6th the thousands upon thousands leave hiroshima and are never to be heard from again until the following year where voices again cry no more Hiroshima. Wars still continue. The world is divided as much as the individuals heart. Though i do not know what the event is like for the many who arrive or for the people who live here, I do know that the media is relentless in its appetite for storys of the moment.

As far as this heartattack mediamachine is concerned, I know that the movie will last longer than any particular period in time. The reason is because of the central theme that is reoccuring daily with the people we meet. This central theme is the bridge that are built between people (generational, between men and women, animal and person, spirit and material) These bridges lead the individual on a spiritual path or journey. Regardless of our differences there is one thing that unites us. That is the the spiritual journey of the heart that we are all embarking on.

In the process of making this movie many drunks have stumbled into the shrines or ceremonies. I focus my attention on them. How can I ignore or edit them out. The camera goes where my attention is, most of the time and if the camera does not follow quick enough i kick myself. One particular fellow who had too much drink by noon stumbled into the Hirose Jinja shrine, three blocks from Takashi’s home in Hiroshima. He played with Yuki and gave Kimina, Yukiko’s daughter, a piece of candy. Then he stumbled over to Jeremy and I and introduced himself, then he went to the shinto priest and spoke. I am not sure what was said, but my attention was on the shinto priest’s expression. So warm and patient and kind. The conversation lasted a few moments and then the man stumbled out of the shrine. We continued our conversation about the lessons of a parent to a child. The younger shinto priest was attempting to walk in his father’s shoes. He was very nervous yet confident that this path was right for him.

Even if your a child in the morning or a drunk at noon, or a priest in the evening or a guidedog for an old drunken priest the journey each one leads begins in the heart, and this search to satisfy the heart seems never ending. This pilgrimage towards the innocence and greatness of childhood is for everyone no matter the age.

The process of making this movie has its own flow. When I try to make something happen or try to rush a situation I end up feeling like a sleep deprived child after candy in the middle of the night. So I accept these child like tendencies and try to be on my best behavior. The events in life unfold at their own pace and all I can do is appreciate the poetry.

Takashi at SFO
Takashi and Yuki playing with some youngsters in Takasaki.
Takashi and Hirose in front of Hirose’s gallery in Takasaki
Secchan belly dancing at a Karaoke bar
Perry gettin jiggy at the Takasaki shrine
Jeremy and Secchan in Takasaki
Shyojin Ryouri (Zen Monastary Cooking)
Takashi and Yukiko looking at a map of Hiroshima
Kimina!
Perry and Takashi relaxing at the Hiroshima Kokusai Hotel
Takashi relaxing
Yukiko and Perry at the Hiroshima Peace Park

Konbonwa Mina-san,

We landed in Hiroshima last tuesday the 26th of July. Our stay in Takasaki was amazing thanks to the good friends we made. One of whom is Sec-chan, who brought Mr. Tanemori’s art work to Mr. Hirose’s attention. After seeing his work he immediately organized a showing and press conference for Mr. Tanemori’ s work. Mr. Tanemori, Jeremy and I were interviewed by the Asa-Shinbun, one of the largest papers in Japan, about our trip and the documentary.

Sec-chan is an areobics instructor, body therapist and belly dancer. She is a teacher of bellydancing to many women in the area young and old. She brought us to a buddhist temple where we met a Monk who took the time before 5am morning meditation to show Jeremy and me the proper methods of bowing after prayer. The next day he also presented us with a typed translation of the morning chant. This was done by his younger brother especially for us. On our last day in Takasaki the monk prepared a special meal called Shyojin Ryori and explained the significance of each plate to us. While we were saying goodbye by the carp pond Sec-chan was saying how she told the monk about her concerns on where to have us stay while in Takasaki. She wanted to help us by opening her dance studio to us but was shy about the mess and cluter. The monk then said not to worry on the presentation, it is just another side of Japan. He then gave us an offering to support our trip and the movie. I am speechless. His and her spirit is inspiring.

The next day we traveled to Hiroshima by Shinkansen. The best bullet train in Japan. We left Tokyo before the typhoon hit. The week before we left Tokyo for Takasaki before the earth quake hit.

Today we are in Hiroshima. Each day has been overwhelming. It seems as though People come in to our lives daily and enrich our expierence. We have taped close to 20 hours in 12 days. Today we went to the Shinto Shrine three blocks from Mr. Tanemori`s child hood home. We used pictures of the Shrine during the butoh performance on the 25th of June. The pictures showed the shrine devestated after the blast and then rebuilt many years later. Today we met the Head Master of the shrine who is collecting historical documents in order to piece the history of Hiroshima back together. Most documents have been destroyed in the fires. We also met his son who is a shinto priest. The son’s main concern is to be able to live up to his father’s example by continuing to help others in need. While we were talking an intoxicated individual stumbled into the court yard and played with Yuki the guidedog. He then stumbled over to Kimina the young 8year old girl we are traveling with and gave her a piece of candy, then he asked if we were apart of the press. We exchanged greetings. I sensed the energy shift immediately. He stumbled to the Shinto Priest and spoke for a while. Through the camera I saw a warm smile from the Priest and kindness directed toward the man. He then said goodbye to everyone and stumbled out of the courtyard. Many people come in and out of our lives. Everyone of them has something important to teach us. The lessons are learned if we listen truthfully to our thoughts and heart during these interactions.

We said our goodbyes and continued on to the Tenma Gawa river. The energy was to intense for all on an empty stomach. A soldier dug an 8 year old Mr. Tanemori out of the burning debris of his collapsed school yard to the Tenma Gawa river. This is where he was reunited with his father. After lunch our energy was still low so we went to find the area where his school once stood. We found a wide open lot where childeren were playing a form of volleyball. It was more like hit the ball as hard as you can and try to keep it in the air. There Yukiko Kagami knocked on a door of a neighboring house and found and elderly gentleman who had a map of the area before the blast. It took him many years to figure out all the pieces. The empty lot where the children were playing was the spot where Mr. Tanemori’s school once stood. After the map show and tell, Mr. Tanemori and Yukiko who was once a volley ball player played with the kids. Yuki the dog got very excited and played too. She was a bolt of lightening chasing after the ball when it went astray. The childeren shrieked and scattered out from Yuki’s path. One of the young boys saw a challenge and played soccer with Yuki. An epic game ensued.

So ends one day in Hiroshima.

Konbonwa,

We have landed safely in Japan. No sleep the night before the flight. Mounds of last minute details. It has taken a few days to adjust to traveling in a group. Our team is made up of 3 generations. 1)Tanemori-san, 2)Yukiko-san, Jeremy-san, Perry-san 3) Kimina-chan (yukiko`s 8 year old daughter) and of course Yuki the seeing eye dog. Today we are fully immersed in the flow. The day after we arrived we hopped on a train for a two hour ride north to Takasaki. This is a small town where Takashi-san`s friend Setsuko organized an amazing art show of his collages. The gallery owner felt a strong connection with his work and decided to curate it. Sharing the space is another artist Kamachi Yamada`s drawings and paintings. He died at the age 17 while playing his electric guitar. Electrocution. His art work is phenomonal, playful and powerful. Animals, Figure drawings, portraits, poems, and so forth. The bridge that connects this young boys art with Takashi-san`s art is the heart and spirit. Young and Old. The spirits ability to express love through art,poetry, actions is stronger than any nuclear blast. The desk that he drew his pictures on is at the space. The surface is clean. Underneath, scribbled on the side of the desk is a marker drawing of two figures moments after a nuclear blast. The walking dead. He must have been 10 when he drew this. His art and Tanemori-san`s art will most assuredly be in the movie along with the fantastic people we are meeting. Dancers, Poets, Bar owners….
The heart of vision is opening wide.

We are getting kicked out of the internet cafe. more later.