NISEI ｜ Omeleto

Two brothers fight in World War II. Minoru and John are two brothers born and raised in the U.S. to parents who emigrated from Japan. Minoru is eager and idealistic, but John is more pessimistic and cynical. When World War II breaks out, they're stripped of their citizenship and placed in internment camps with other Japanese-Americans. To prove their loyalty, they volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat, comprised of Japanese-Americans like them. Torn between country and family, both brothers must face harrowing combat overseas in the devastating theater of war. But they also face discrimination and ostracization at home in a country that doesn't want them. Directed and written by Darren Haruo Rae, this elegantly appointed short historical drama shines a light on an all-Japanese-American troop of soldiers who fought in World War II for a country imprisoning them and their families because of their ancestry. The film has a wide canvas visually and narratively, with rich and polished cinematography, layered storytelling and a vast sense of place. But it maintains a sense of intimacy with its main character, Minoru, and through him, it examines themes of loyalty, heroism, belonging and immigrant identity.