The film posted here, Dave Tatsuno Movies and Memories, documents an important piece of American and Bay Area history. In 1942 about 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States were placed in “war relocation camps.”

Japanese-American businessman, Dave Masaharu Tatsuno and his family were relocated to the Topaz Interment Camp, in Utah, for the duration of World War II. While imprisoned, he filmed a remarkable series of home movies documenting his family’s life at Topaz.

Later, Mr. Tatsuno created a film with that footage called, Topaz Memories. It is the only full-color movie of life in an internment camp shot from the perspective of an internee. Mr. Tatsuno showed the homemade film at schools and community events to educate younger generations. In 1997, he gave Topaz Memoriesto the Library of Congress as a gift to the American people.

Dave Tatsuno Movies and Memories is about the inspiring documentarian, himself. The footage Mr.Tatsuno courageously shot at Topaz is featured in the documentary by Public Television Station, KTEH (now KQED Silicon Valley) in 2006.

J