COMMUNITY TREASURES Set for Dec. 2 as Part of TAKACHIZU Gathering Space

TAKACHIZU (“treasure map”), a community “show & tell” gathering space designed to identify and reflect on that which is most valuable, celebrated, and in need of protection in Little Tokyo, is a project of Sustainable Little Tokyo initiated by +LAB, LTSC’s creative community development strategy utilizing collaboration and experimentation to advance Little Tokyo's power over its future. As a means to support the preservation and sustainability of Little Tokyo’s cultural assets amidst rapid displacement, TAKACHIZU is a community participatory asset-gathering model designed by Rosten Woo and team to help inform on-going community development efforts. TAKACHIZU is funded by ArtPlace America.

Visual Communications’ contributions to TAKACHIZU include a two-part series to share just some of its award-winning filmography, including examples of its ongoing preservation efforts in concert with the California Audio/Visual Preservation Project (CAVPP). Presentation of these works, with guests directors and other special guests, serve to articulate what VCers have determined to be valuable, pertinent stories reflecting the communities that we live, work, and play in.

“COMMUNITY TREASURES, THEN AND THEN”
Friday, December 2, 2016   7:30 PM  ｜  249 So. Los Angeles Street, LA 90012
In this second and final installment of a two-part offering, a pair of silent home movies from Visual Communications’ Archives focusses on Little Tokyo community life and its people during two distinct eras of its history. These two silent films, digitized by the California Audiovisual Preservation Project (CAVPP), serve to make known the vitality of a unique California community.

LITTLE TOKYO 1930s HOME MOVIE
(United States, 1934-1942) Dir.: Akira Kawasaki
Home movie of pre-World War II Los Angeles, including the Little Tokyo neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Harbor. Footage documents Downtown Los Angeles night traffic, the annual Nisei Week Parade in Little Tokyo, ships at the harbor, and construction. This internegative was obtained through a restoration process performed on the original 1930s 16mm film.
Digital (originated on 16mm), 26 minutes, black & white, silent

DOWNTOWN L.A. COMMUNITY HEALTH DAY
(United States, 1971) Dir.: Unknown
Description: Footage of the first community health day held for residents in the Downtown Los Angeles area (specifically Weller Court in Little Tokyo). This recording documents one of the first community health days community organizers and nonprofit workers held in the area.
Digital (originated on 16mm), 29 minutes, black & white, silent

IN PERSON:
• Alan Nishio, Little Tokyo Service Center, will host the evening and offer live commentary and stories related to the films to be presented
• Other special guests