We know Hiroshima and Nagasaki, yet have you ever heard of the Tokyo Firebombing of 9-10 March 1945? This event left Tokyo's Shitamachi District in cinders and corpses, leaving 100,000 dead and a million homeless; a toll exceeding Hiroshima. Julia Morizawa's independent animated short film, Dragonfly, is an inspired account of her grandmother's survival from that chaotic night that changed Tokyo forever. We talk:
Inspiration for the film
Creative process in balancing factual history and personal family testimony
Developing her FIRST animated feature
Crafting and portraying her grandmother for Dragonfly
Clarifying the ending; leaving the conversation in the darkDragonfly is currently in the festival circuit - release TBD
Julia Morizawa of Infinite Pictures for her time and insight.
Deborah Gilels of LA Media Consultants for organizing this interview
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Film Festival for hosting Dragonfly