Reviewed by: Glam Adelaide
Review by Fran Edwards | 18 February 2022
Originally starting life as a one man show with props, photos and audio, this production is one not to miss. Presented by Tetsuro Shigematsu on a carefully crafted film, it really seems that he is there in the room with his recordings, photos and props. The story is the life of a man, Mas Yamamoto, and we follow him from his youth in a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River through many upheavals, swept along with the global changes that affected the last century. Another insight into internments caused by fear in a world conflict, leading to loss and segregation that has echoes that reverberate through the years that follow. All Japanese Canadians were sent to camps, forfeited their homes, businesses and freedom and were never compensated. This story reveals how this affected the life of one man and those around him. Shigematsu is a compelling and entertaining story teller, his use of models enhances the tale, and the recordings of Mas telling how it was give it authenticity. A very different and interesting production.