Filmmaker Unearths Japanese American Family's Untold Story in Poignant Documentary

In 2025, filmmaker Rachel Michiko Whitney is set to premiere her directorial debut, a documentary called "Yonsei," at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The film follows Whitney as she pauses her acting career to write and star in a project about her mother, Elizabeth Reiko Kubota, a struggling Japanese American actress in the 1980s.

Through the documentary, Whitney uncovers her family's rich history, including her grandmother's experience being sent to a Japanese American internment camp during World War II, where she met and fell in love with Whitney's grandfather. However, Whitney initially struggled with respecting her family's privacy while also wanting to honor their stories. She even wrote fictionalized versions of her grandparents' and mother's narratives before deciding to make a documentary.

Ultimately, Whitney's grandmother, who just turned 101, had the most positive reaction to the film, expressing her hope that future generations would be able to see this important piece of Japanese American history. The documentary also features interviews with pioneering Asian American actors like George Takei, who previously starred alongside Whitney in a short film about the Japanese American internment camps.

"Yonsei" offers a personal and insightful look at generational trauma and resilience within the Japanese American community, as Whitney grapples with the challenges of telling her family's story while maintaining their vulnerability and privacy.