Project Details

The purpose of this project is to find where people find real values.

We will ask people around a question, "What do you value the most in your life?" and collect various answers. By taking pictures and video clips of those answers, we will create a short independent film in the end.

Details about the Independent Film: "A journey of a Pinwheel"

It has been one year since the earthquake and tsunami tragedy that unexpectedly hit Japan March of 2011. A small pinwheell reflects the big events of that fateful day. The victims of this earthquake are not only the ones who lost their lives, but also the people who lost their family and friends, their homes, and their belongings. However, they still live their lives today with smiles on their faces. The pinwheel then sets out on a journey to answer his question of, “What do people value most in their lives?” Throughout his journey, he builds 絆 (kizuna) meaning “bonds” in Japanese with every person he encounters.

Our messages through the depiction of a pinwheel…

• Alone pinwheel sitting in the corner of a room cannot spin itself. However, with the helping hand of someone else blowing onto the pinwheel, its true beauty can be enjoyed through the mixing colors of the wings when it spins. This pinwheel represents Japan. The helping hand? All the prayer and thoughts of those around the world. We hope to send our messages, thoughts, and prayers to those in Japan to get the pinwheel spinning again, to rebuild Japan into the nation it once was before this tragedy. The film begins with a pinwheel in the corner of a room, unable to spin and end with a shot of the pinwheel spinning thanks to the bonds he built with those he encountered on his journey.

• While the pinwheel finds answers for the question of “What do you value the most?” we would like all the people who have been involved in this event to think about where their real values lie. Our hope is that instead of emphasizing values on possessing, participants will recognize that what is most important is priceless. We hope to utilize this event as an opportunity for everyone to take a moment to reflect on what is important in their lives. “Kizuna,” the theme of this event, may be an important piece to what we truly value. Our hope and goal of this event is to build kizuna, “bond,” that transcends the ocean and borders.

We will show this film in the fundraising event for Japan which will on Thursday, April 5th at Western Washington University.

Event Details

Date and Time:   Thursday, 5th April 2012 7:30 - 9:00 .Doors open at 7pm.

Venue:                  Western Washington University AH100

Contents:              Independent Films and Performances

Admission Fee:   Minimum $1 Donation at Door

100% of proceeds will be directly sent to community in Miyagi / Fukushima Prefectures in Japan