My Grandfather is a Nihonjin

Through painterly animation, a rich and nuanced story unfolds about discovering your family’s history and its closely guarded secrets.

When ten-year-old Naburo is given a school assignment to tell the story of his family, he turns to his gruff and reserved grandfather, Hideo. Hideo would rather not think about the past, but reluctantly begins to tell Naburo how, as a young man, he left Japan and travelled to Brazil as a migrant worker. Life in his new country was hard and demanding, but it also offered him the chance to start a family and build a home. At the same time, Hideo resisted becoming part of Brazilian culture and instead fought to preserve his Japanese heritage – something that would eventually put him on a collision course with his own son. What begins as a simple school assignment grows into a journey through the family’s past, where old grievances are seen in a new light and the possibility of reconciliation begins to take shape.

Suitable for ages 7 and up.