“a gorgeous tribute to two pioneers of North American taiko whose outsized impact of 50+years has rippled throughout the world. ”
— Mike fienen, taiko artist
Synopsis.
Because of You, I Am is a short documentary film about PJ & Roy Hirabayashi, two quietly radical Japanese American taiko drummers who defied traditional cultural expectations in their quest for identity and purpose. Together, they spent over five decades using the drum as a platform to catalyze social change, build community from the ground up, and champion a new category of Asian American music despite facing the unrelenting challenges of anti-Asian hate, racial injustice, and cultural appropriation.
Themes.
Origin.
Asian-American identity
lineage of Japanese values
arts activism
community empowerment
outrunning racism
ERASURE OF HISTORY
taiko as a social platform
The origin behind the film’s title is the concept of “okagesama de”. In the Japanese language, this is loosely translated to mean…
Because you came before me, mother, father, grandma, grandpa, I am who I am.
Here I stand on your shoulders, indebted to the groundwork you sowed, the foundation you laid, The culture you exemplified, and the values you tirelessly embodied.
“A brilliant work of art, illuminating, mesmerizing, and motivating; A story so real and stunning in black and white. Perfect.”
— Connie Young Yu
PJ & Roy’s story.
“Knowing we were stereotyped as quiet and reserved, we realized that taiko could be our voice and we could use the power of the drum to be loud, heard, and seen.”
— PJ & Roy
explore their story >
What is taiko?
“Taiko” is the Japanese word from drum. it is a traditional japanese instrument of various sizes made from natural materials and struck with “bachi”, a pair of wooden sticks. when taiko is played with body, mind, and soul, its sound echoes the human spirit.
Aesthetic.
It was the Director’s conscious decision to shoot the film in richly toned black and white, and by doing so, minimize distractions from color to enhance viewer perception of emotions.
By incorporating the Japanese concept of "ma" (meaning empty space, a pause) and leitmotifs that DEPICT the interconnection of taiko and nature, the balance of flow and pacing was FREE to breathe on its own, encouraging REFLECTION ON THE UNSAID AND UNSEEN. This approach helped counter any expectation for a fast-MOVING narrative and opened the opportunity to frame the interviews and music with as much visual poetry as possible.
backlighting enhanced shadows and added mystery. AT THE SAME TIME, the sound of wind helped create the undercurrent of unresolved conflict, ambiguity, and doubt all artists must embrace and overcome to create.
Leica SL2S DSLR cameras and lenses captured the scenes for a visually stunning look. NATURE’S PALETTE WAS PARTICULARLY COOPERATIVE ON SHOOTING DAY, OFFERING AN ARRAY OF TEXTURES TO PLAY WITH. it was irresistible TO CAPTURE THE ARTISTS IN A NATURAL SETTING BECAUSE taiko comes from nature, ITS ENERGY emanating FROM THE EARTH TO THE SKY.
Filmmakers.
Doug Menuez
DIRECTOR | BIO
Pear Urushima
PRODUCER
Luke Carquillat
DIRECTOR of PHOTOGRAPHY
*Photo credit Marisa Maldonado
Director’s statement.
I was grateful to be invited to direct this short film about renowned taiko drummers PJ and Roy Hirabayashi, because of my fascination with how artists find purpose and meaning through their work. I'm also motivated by a deep curiosity about the core human experiences shared across all cultures and, in the context of culture, how we find our identity.
As children of Japanese immigrants who navigated conflicting cultures to find their identity and purpose, their story combined everything I've sought to explore throughout my life. I knew I had to make this film. I also knew I had been given a very special gift.
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My vision was to make a quiet, thoughtful meditation about the journey of two artists who helped create a new form of Japanese American taiko. As a director, I approached this project as a respectful outsider aiming to gain trust, serve as a witness, and hopefully bring a fresh perspective to complex situations. To counter any lack of specific knowledge, I practiced "beginner's mind," assuming nothing and keeping my mind open to learning. Throughout my career shooting documentary stills projects, I've tried to spark dialogues across communities by offering a universal perspective on personal stories. This parallels what PJ and Roy have done by bringing people together with their music. I realized that my past experiences - as a photojournalist covering stories about Japanese Americans, the arts and culture in Japan as well as being an artist and musician grappling with my own identity (as a Basque descendent) - all connected me in profound ways to PJ and Roy and to this film.
Through "Because of You, I Am," I want to evoke a range of emotions in the audience—surprise, curiosity, inspiration - and the irresistible urge to leap up as the drums start playing. History matters, so it's important to highlight the shameful history of our government's mistreatment and internment of Japanese American citizens during WWII and the current rise of anti-Asian hate. The film can help be a bridge between cultures, fostering empathy and understanding, for example, when Roy says, "It’s a sad situation where we can’t trust those who are around us because we’re a person of color and they are not,” audiences get a powerful insight into how it feels to stand in his shoes.
Our popular culture rewards aggressive self-promotion and competitive, even ruthless, behavior to reach success. I learned from PJ and Roy that it's possible to accomplish impossible things simply by being true to yourself and your beliefs, steadfastly pursuing your art, and giving to your community. For over 50 years, PJ and Roy have proven the power that kindness and generosity of spirit can have while building a fulfilling, creative life and legacy.
Ultimately, this film encourages audiences to reflect on the choices they need to make in their own lives to pursue their unspoken dreams.
Crew.
DIRECTOR
Doug Menuez
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Pear Urushima
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Marisa Maldonado
PRODUCER
Doug Menuez
story consultant
pear urushima
EDITORS
Doug Menuez
Max Bowens
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Luke Carquillat
COLORIST
Luke Carquillat
CAMERA OPERATOR
Evan Werner
CAMERA ASSISTANT
Collin Hassler
2ND UNIT DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Marisa Maldonado
SOUND MIXER & ENGINEER
Kevin Kono
ASSISTANT SOUND ENGINEER
Sebastian Miño-Bucheli
SET PHOTOGRAPHER
Marisa Maldonado
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Kullan Warner
ONLINE EDITOR
Ed Yonaitis
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Kristine Lee
Musical Acknowledgments
Taiko and fue tracks composed and performed by PJ & ROY HIRABAYASHI
Celebration
Composed and performed by PJ & ROY HIRABAYASHI
Ei Ja Nai Ka
Composed and choreographed by PJ HIRABAYASHI
Song, lyrics, and vocals by YOKO FUJIMOTO
Obon choreography by PJ HIRABAYASHI, YOKO FUJIMOTO, & NOBUKO MIYAMOTO
Free Spirit
Composed by ROY HIRABAYASHI
Hachijo Taiko
Arranged and performed by PJ & ROY HIRABAYASHI
Kin Moku
Composed by ROY HIRABAYASHI & KAREN MORITA
NanaShi
Composed by ROY HIRABAYASHI
Taiko Workshop Players
Hiromi Inaba, Stewart Kume, Trish Kume, Kristine Lee, Victoria Phan, Kazu Shirai, Sydney Shiroyama, Pear Urushima
Still Photography
Doug Menuez
Curt Fukuda
Dorothea Lange, National Archives
Clem Albers, National Archives
Eliot Elisofon, The LIFE Picture Collection
Fred Clark, GRANGER Historical Picture Archive
Julian F. Fowlkes, Library of Congress
Grateful Thanks
PJ & Roy Hirabayashi
Kim Komenich
Leica Camera USA
San Jose Japantown
San Jose Taiko
School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza
Production Partners
Menuez pictures
Kanreki productions
Awards & Screenings.
Awards.
Viewing schedule.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
DISORIENT ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL OF OREGON (March 2024)
Nominee - seeds of kinship award
Silicon Valley Asia Pacific FilmFest (October 2023)
Best Local Short Documentary Award
Audience Award
UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Friday, may 10, 2024, 12noon PT, AARP live virtual screening + Q&A, more info
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2024, “continuum” event at school of arts and culture, SHOWCASING Mali alumnae ARTISTS, the film’s trailer will be looping throughout the event, more info
past screenings
thursday March 21, 2024, 3:30pm-5pm, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, live screening and Q&A on campus, 554 social sciences bldg, co-sponsors - cal Raijin Taiko, uc Berkeley japanese american studies advisory committee & asian american & asian diaspora studies 122
SUN MAR 17, 2024, 9:30am - CINEQUEST, OFFICIAL SELECTION, LIVE SCREENING @Hammer theatre center, San Jose, California
MAR 8-10, 2024 - DISORIENT ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL OF OREGON, OFFiciAL SELECTION, LIVE SCREENING @art house, Eugene, Oregon
FEB 24-25,2024 - Films of remembrance, OFFICIAL SELECTION, LIVE SCREENING @KABUKI THEATRE, SAN FRANCISCO, california, FILM GUIDE
January 28, 2024 - Community screening hosted by Kinnara Taiko at Senshin Buddhist Temple, Los Angeles, California
October 22, 2023 - Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, Official Selection, Winner - Local Short Documentary, Audience Award, live screening at AMC theaters, Sunnyvale, california
Request a screening.
Dear Friend,
We gladly welcome inquiries on screening the film, whether it be at a festival, educational setting, or community gathering. our wish is to Share the film across all cultures and walks of life in addition to working with stakeholders in education to use the film as a teaching tool.
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Photography by Doug Menuez.
Please contact us for info on licensing photos or purchasing original prints.
Contact.
PRESS, SCREENINGS, EDUCATIONAL LICENSING, FILM INFO, send a nice quote
PEAR(at)KanrekiProductions.com