Ikigai (2024)
Synopsis
'Ikigai' follows Mayumi, a 9-year-old girl, as she tries to find balance in her Japanese identity and American nationality. Hanako, her mother who celebrates their culture through Nihon Buyo, sees Mayumi's new school as an opportunity to share their culture with the white students. When Mayumi is assigned a show-and-tell presentation, she takes it as a chance to prove to her classmates that she is not that different from them. But, that plan is soon ruined when Hanako unexpectedly shows up and teaches the class a Japanese dance, embarrassing and exposing Mayumi's cultural background. After coming home ashamed of her mother and Japanese identity, Mayumi receives guidance from her parents that motivates her to return to school and redo her show and tell in a way that would make her ancestors proud.
Release Date: 2024-04-30
Runtime: 16 minutes
Director: Maren Emiko Elardo
Budget: $35,000 USD
Top Cast
- Natsuko Aoike as Hanako Nakaji
- Brian Takahashi as Kenji Nakaji
- Julia Saito as Mayumi Nakaji
- Becca Bell as Mrs. Anderson
- Mary Lapari as Katherine
- Sullivan Lapari as Jackson
- Joilena Fang as Yumi
- Jared Hayes Lawrence as Andrew
- Sayana Kitagawa as Yuka
- Joventino Fuentes as Jason
Soundtrack
Original Music Composer(s): N/A
Trailers & Videos
Images & Backdrops
Backdrops
Where to Watch
No watch providers found for this movie in TW.