March 28, 2024

UMW to Host Tohoku Tomo Screening, Nov. 12

The University of Mary Washington will host a screening of the documentary film “Tohoku Tomo”on Wednesday, Nov. 12 to bring attention to the ongoing efforts to rebuild the Tohoku region of Japan, which was directly impacted by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan. Philp Holbrook, a 2007 UMW alumnus, was cinematographer of the documentary.   Film ScreeningTranslated as “Friends of Tohoku,” the film is a story of friendship and commitment to Japan’s recovery following the earthquake. The screening will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Combs Hall, Room 139 on the Fredericksburg campus. Admission is free and open to the public. Wesley Julian, a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, was in Japan on March 11, 2011, when the earthquake struck. Seeing the devastation first-hand and losing a close friend in the tsunami, he returned to the USA committed to helping bring attention to the ongoing needs in the areas devastated by the tsunami. In 2013, with funding from a Kickstarter campaign, Julian and a small team traveled back to Japan to interview individuals and organizations that have been working in the Tohoku region since March 11. Philip Holbrook joined him as director of photography. “It was important to me to not forget what happened, but also to tell the story of what’s happening now in Japan,” Julian said. “The film captures the stories of people who saw a need and did what they could to make a difference. My hope is that it will inspire others to visit the area and be a part of the rebuilding efforts in Japan.” The film includes over a dozen interviews, footage from the impacted areas, and features J-Pop artist Maynard Plant from the band “Monkey Majik;” Stu Levy, producer of the film “Pray for Japan;”and host of Tokyofoodcast, Etsuko Nakamura. Both Julian and Holbrook will attend the screening at UMW and will be available to answer questions and discuss the film. The event is sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office and the English, Linguistics, and Communication Department. For more information, contact Anand Rao at arao@umw.edu.

English Alum Nominated for Emmy

UMW Alumnus Alexander Cardia ’07 is among the nominees for the 35th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards announced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Cardia is nominated in the category of Outstanding Graphic Design & Art Direction, he was nominated for his animation and design work on Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle, produced by PBS. For a full list of nominees, visit: emmyonline.com/news_35th_nominations.