Welcome
In the Shadow of Heart Mountain is a documentary about the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. The camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming held nearly 11,000 incarcerees, including the family of documentary filmmaker, Vanessa Saito Yuille. As a third generation Japanese American, Vanessa uncovers the pain and injustice that the government-imposed imprisonment had on her family. Her grandparents lost everything; her aunt and uncles were teenagers; and her mother was born there. Through the construction of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, the healing process begins.

Most of the principle photography has been filmed on location in Wyoming. We are currently in discussion with investors to complete production and post-production. A 13-minute short documentary titled An American Contradiction, which is based upon the feature, is out for festival consideration in 2012.

This website will be undergoing a renovation in 2012, so please stay tuned!

News 2011
12/04 – Expect a new and improved website in 2012!
07/03 – Billings Gazette: Heart Mountain internees remembered through their artwork
05/27 – Short documentary about Heart Mountain and game engine are complete!
03/03 – Heart Mountain is featured in a travel blog: Cowboy Country: Heart Mountain Internment Camp
02/02 – The game engine is in production!
01/25 – In discussion with the Academy of Art Game Department to make a game engine for the Interpretive Learning Center to aid researchers and visitors visualize the size and scope of the Heart Mountain camp.

News 2010
12/18 – New York Times: Frank Emi, Defiant World War II Internee, Dies at 94
10/14 – Pasadena Star-News article on Bacon Sakatani: West Covina resident recalls internment camp experience
10/07 – Quoted in The Rafu Shimpo: Conference Recalls Issei Postwar Challenges
09/30 – The Rafu Shimpo: THROUGH THE FIRE: Connecting to Community
09/24 – 09/26: Los Angeles conference at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM): “HEART MOUNTAIN, WYOMING: Removal, Resettlement, Redress, and Reflections: A Community Conference”
09/22: San Francisco Examiner: Wyo. internment camp life to be examined in L.A.
09/02: VFX production continues in fall semester.
09/02: Mention in The Rafu Shimpo: Heart Mountain Set to Open in 2011
08/17 – 08/22: Filming in Wyoming.
08/04: USA Today: WWII camp could illuminate dark period in U.S.
06/21: Visual effects production continues in summer semester.
05/23 – 05/29: Filming in Wyoming.
02/27: San Jose informational meeting on the progress of Interpretive Learning Center.
02/02 – 02/03: In Washington D.C. for Summit Meeting. Interview with Norman Mineta. Caught in the snowstorm of the century.
02/01: Visual effects production begins to digitally recreate the camp.

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