In conjunction with the opening of the exhibition Kyotographie:KawadaKikujixIwaneAi, Japan House London presents a special screening of the documentary Bon-Uta: A Song from Home. Iwane Ai, one of the exhibition’s featured photographers, served as associate producer for the film.

Bon-Uta follows residents of Fukushima who were displaced by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of 2011. As they face the possible loss of their centuries-old Bon dance traditions, in which they honour their ancestors through dances performed with live musical accompaniment, they discover that versions of their songs and dances have been preserved for over a century in Hawaii as FukushimaOndo. Their journey to Hawaii reconnects them with this unexpected cultural legacy and offers renewed hope for preserving their heritage.

Through herKipukaphotography project, Iwane Ai documented the traditions of Hawaii’s Japanese immigrant communities, reflecting themes closely connected to the film.

The screening will be introduced by Iwane Ai and followed by a Q&A with the photographer, offering a rare opportunity to gain insight into the project and her creative process.

 

About the Speaker

Iwane Ai(b. 1975) began taking photographs while at high school in the United States, returning to Japan to pursue a career in photography. In 2006, she started work on the series Kipuka, which explores Japanese immigrants in Hawaii and their relationship with Fukushima in Japan’s northeastern Tōhoku region. Her work continued in Tōhoku in 2020 with A New River, a complex study of overcoming grief. In this series, she captured cherry trees in bloom, with no one to view them, at a time when communities around the world were forced into isolation.

Iwane was awarded the 44th Kimura Ihei Photography Award (2019) and the 44th Ina Nobuo Award (2019) for her photobook Kipuka (published in 2018) and related exhibitions. She is also the recipient of the New Photographer Award at the 37th Higashikawa International Photography Festival (2021) and the 3rd Prix Pictet Japan Award (2022).

The screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles. Duration: approx.134mins.

Guests who are booked to attend the screening can also enjoy 10% off drinks at the Stand on their way in.

*Please note that filming nd/or photography may take place at this event. Photos and footage of the event may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.

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Booking essential | Admission free