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Eric Nakamura’s Shortlist

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Posted on May 7 2008 in by austra

Eric Nakamura’s Shortlist

Published on April 29, 2008

The Shortlist article series is your opportunity to learn about the films that inspire intellectual, artistic and activist leaders — leaders like Eric Nakamura. We asked Eric to share his favorite films and his thoughts on the power of documentary to change the world. So what films Eric Nakamura’s Shortlist? Keep reading to find out.

Eric Nakamura

Who is Eric Nakamura?

Eric graduated from UCLA with a degree in East Asian Studies. He got his start in magazine making through a stint at Larry Flynt Publications and working on numerous zines in the early ‘90s. In addition to publishing issues of Giant Robot, curating the art galleries and picking products for the shops, Nakamura has made an independent movie called Sunsets, shot photos for punk rock bands and designed t-shirts. Recently, Nakamura curated a museum show, “Giant Robot Biennale” at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and continues to work on projects outside of GR for different communities and entities.

Eric Nakamura on the Power of Film

Documentaries are often creative, involved and are like dissertations in that they’re filled with content about a subject that is often overlooked. They tell a real and often vibrant story which otherwise may never be told. Documentaries can lead to better understanding of others in almost any realm and, in cinema, might be the most important story-telling format.

In 1997, while in the early stages of Giant Robot magazine, I got together with a cousin and wrote, directed, produced and edited a narrative film entitled Sunsets. Funded by us, it was a crash course into the world of cinema, film festivals and the marketing machine around it. Since then, I’ve delved into short subject documentaries as well. The effort it takes to make any film, which often times won’t see much light on any day, is tremendous and expensive, and documentaries are often both of these, but also time consuming. Yet, the rewards are satisfying, often in the same way as writing a good story for our own magazine, which also takes time, research and getting involved with the subjects so you can tell their story accurately. Thankfully I have the experience in narrative, documentary and even journalism to know that documentaries are often produced, yield the least financial results and are often unseen. Although entities such as YouTube, Revver and many online channels are now giving a lot of weight and heed to short documentaries which often yield the best results in a three to five minute format.

Eric Nakamura’s Film Picks

After Innocence: People who are locked up wrongfully when they’re innocent has to be one of the greatest nightmares ever. Imagine losing all of your freedom for no reason and spending 30 years behind bars. We take our own freedom for granted and I think almost everyone takes the many who are wrongfully imprisoned for granted as well. See who’s involved, who’s being freed and how they adjust to their new lives. The best part about this documentary is that it’s just the beginning. It’s been rocking the judicial system.

Another State of Mind: This is a punk rock documentary from 1984 and it features some of the best bands in America. Circle Jerks, Social Distortion, Fugazi and a few others make this a time capsule, but also captures the nation’s ills toward punk rock in the early ‘80s, while now, it’s commonplace. I saw this in the ‘80s and it was one of the things that turned me on to punk, documentaries and the DIY attitude. I remember it showed on television on a cable station. How it got there I have no idea.

When We Were Kings: Muhammad Ali’s experiences go far out of the realm of most athletes and most people for that matter. When I see this, which is just a portion of his life, I’m dwarfed by the grandeur of his struggles, his triumphs and how much more of a rounded person he was than just a boxer. The film captures so much of his personality and gives you just a partial insight into him. Can anyone be such a hero today?

Fahrenheit 9/11: It’s hard to get too preachy about this project. It’s one point of view by Michael Moore who I’m not exactly a fan of since he puts a little too much of himself into every project. But maybe that’s what makes them sell. It was important to have a documentary about the events and lives of those who were involved in 9/11. It was too large of a subject not to cover as a feature length film. The movies didn’t quite cut it, although one can’t deny that they’re just as important. Michael Moore’s look into it captures a side that much of us don’t want to admit may be true. For that reason alone, I think it’s important. But if it’s all wrong, I’m still okay with his efforts to put together a project like this. The others often just fall off the wayside. Michael Moore has the power to make his films important. I’d give some honorable mentions to the conspiracy theorists who have made numerous documentaries which are available free online. If they get even one new point right, then they’ll have made a great contribution.

Woodstock: I’ve seen this many times. Why would I include it? I think for a kid like me, who was born in 1969, Woodstock is the originator of the Lollapaloozas, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Coachella, etc. Its imprint on today’s culture is powerful. The lifestyles, fashions and effort put forth to make the event memorable for generations to come: that’s cool. It was made with care, effort, budget and it’s a marker of rock ‘n’ roll. Its influences even make it into Wayne’s World.

Hoop Dreams: The idea of following basketball kids from junior high into their high schooling and even college is a daunting task, but this picture paints two pictures. One is of a kid with a clear path to success, and the other is of a kid who has to work hard to gain every inch. But who comes out ahead and how does he get there? This isn’t a story of success. It’s more about the process of what the dreams of kids are all about.

An Inconvenient Truth: There’s not too much to say but “wow.” Somehow the “next President of the USA” became an Oscar winner with this documentary and made a better contribution to society than maybe any recent President. Finding a way to contribute and make a film that hopefully will change at least some peoples’ viewpoints of our planet is maybe the ultimate gift. This could be the most important documentary ever made.

Super Size Me: This film is funny, humorous and shocking. Morgan Spurlock eats himself into getting fat by submitting his body to the ultimate test: junk food in the Super Size variety. How he can eat so much is already a miracle, but to see his body change and the ill effects it had are what made this film a success. It’s sort of like things you may have seen on Jackass, YouTube and a blog melding together into a documentary.

Wings of Defeat: Kamikaze pilots who didn’t die? This documentary tells the story of the forgotten pilots who were often depicted as being crazy zealots but were, in actuality, afraid to die. The picture tells the story of the war and the desperation of the Japanese military who chose to force young pilots into the ultimate sacrifice, even though it was a losing proposition. The film uses old footage reels and newspaper articles that you’ll never see again. The living paint an untold story that will help people understand the psyche of what happened during World War II.

Travelling with Yoshitomo Nara: One of the world’s greatest contemporary artists, Yoshitomo Nara, is the subject and this film won’t poke holes or dig up dirt from his personal life, but it will follow him and demonstrate his artistic process. It’s heartwarming at times, and in others it’s humorous. You witness this often lone artist grow as a person to collaborate with others. But in some solitary moments you see that he gets along best with children and animals.

This article is available for noncommercial use under a Creative Commons license. It was originally published on MediaRights.org, a project of Arts Engine, Inc. This notice must accompany the article at all times.

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