No No Girl

To me, individuals and families identify themselves in contexts. Some contexts are: who the other family members are, how spirituality connects them, their rituals, their shared celebrations, their shared tragedies, their shared grievances, their secrets, and especially in America, their heritages. This film depicts a family who struggles with the underlying half-known history of their family. Japanese American families with histories that go back to at least WWII have a special context: family members who were forced from their homes and into concentration camps thanks to Executive Order 9066. This was a shameful period of America that forced Americans from their homes because they looked like people of the nation that attacked Pearl Harbor on December seventh, nineteen forty-one. To me, one big issue of the film emerges: "Who are we? We are Americans whose parents and grandparents were 'othered' and their homes ripped from their possession through no fault of their own." The contemporary family goes through typical life in having family events, having jobs, going to college, and being connected to the overall culture with music, literature, movies, and news items. But, they are dealing with an extra dimension of dynamics. The family has been held together by the children of those who experienced the camps. Now, some evidence of the lives of the grandparents comes to light and a conflict emerges: do they keep the family together by not looking more deeply into some found letters and items of that time, or do they dig into this evidence and have the family structure threatened by exposing these unknown secrets? What would they find? Would the findings change their identities? Would something come to light that could cause them embarrassment? I saw the main tension coming from some of the family wanting to know what these details are no matter what it says about the family versus keeping the status quo of the family identity by not delving into these secrets and details. During wartime incarceration, these families were asked if they were willing to serve on combat duty wherever ordered or perhaps serve in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. They were also asked if they would swear unqualified allegiance to the United States and forswear any form of allegiance to the Emperor of Japan. 'No No Girl' gets its title from answering "no" to these questions. As an American, I say "How dare you ask me these questions!" These Americans were not treated as citizens who could have a freedom of choice to join the war effort or not. These Americans were asked a question of allegiance to someone they never had any connection to. The play 'Allegiance' delves into these issues by showing families experiencing the camps. This film shows the contemporary aftermath of this with its implications on the family. One of the implications is that the family knows exactly where the home their grandparents had, and it is nearby. Their home was stolen from them and their family was still able to reform themselves and start again. I could feel the pain behind the eyes of the family members who were going through these many levels of conflict. My family came from countries other than America. We were not treated like this. But I sure as hell can imagine what that might have felt like. I can imagine that because I am a human being, worthy of respect and dignity, just like them.

I very much enjoyed director Paul Daisuke Goldman's new thought provoking family drama "The No No Girl", which examines the impact of long ago family secrets and how they can impact their stability of their children even several generals later. The film is centered around a fourth-generation Hasegawa family, and the discovery of love letters written by the just-deceased grandmother from 80 years ago, when Japanese American were forced to leave their homes and relocate to Internment Japanese Camps under the Executive order 9066. The family decides to bury a "treasure chest" of family heirlooms. The grandchildren and great grandchildren who discovered these letters contemplates launching a search into their family history and uncovers long-buried family secrets.

Director Paul Daisuke Goldman deftly handles the complexity and tension coming from some of the family wanting to know what these details are no matter what versus keeping the status quo of the family identity by not delving into these secrets and details. During wartime incarceration during World War II, these Japanese American families were not treated as citizens who could have a freedom of choice to join the war effort or not. The Broadway show 'Allegiance' delves into these issues by showing Japanese American families experiencing the camps. This film shows the aftermath of what happens when the issue of racial profiling taken to the extreme, and even generations later, its impact on the family. Given the currently state in America and what is happening to the Latino immigrant community, ICE and racial profiling, this movie is indeed timely. With a capable, strong ensemble cast, "No No Girl" is notable in its restrained and intimate storytelling. It's a reflective and gentle reminder of how our family history shape who we are. If you are looking for a contemporary family drama which is both thoughtful and inspiring, I recommend giving "No No Girl" a look.

"No No Girl" by Paul Goodman is a quietly powerful film that left a lasting impression on me. Told through the eyes of a young Japanese American woman uncovering her family's hidden past, the film offers a nuanced exploration of intergenerational trauma, cultural silence, and the emotional residue of the WWII internment camps. What struck me most was how restrained and intimate the storytelling felt-there's a deep respect for the characters and their inner lives, especially as they wrestle with what has been lost or buried over time. Instead of leaning on heavy exposition, Goodman uses subtle gestures, long silences, and emotionally charged moments to reveal how historical injustice continues to ripple through generations. I found myself reflecting not just on the legacy of the camps, but on how many families-mine included-hold on to pain they can't always name. The film doesn't offer easy closure, and that's what makes it feel real. It's a meditative, beautifully composed reminder of how personal and collective memory shape who we are, even when the past remains unspoken.

A thoughtful and captivating story surrounding second world war Japanese internment and the legacy down through subsequent generations. This was an indie film that certainly kept my attention and leaving me wanting to find out what the 'buried mystery' was, what the letters contained and what action the family would take. It was a well written story, the cinematography was visually pleasing and thoughtfully setup and the pacing done well. I did find the b-story about the rock girl singer a bit different from the main Asian cast plot but perhaps that accentuates the cultural opposites in the story background. Over all this was a satisfying film to watch and generally higher quality than the average indie drama film.

Goodman masterfully captures the ripple effects of one of America's darkest atrocities through a riveting story about family, loss, and healing. Spanning three generations of an American-Japanese family, the film alternates between present day and past following what starts as one girl's curiosity about her grandmother's life and what turns into a quest to uncover secrets almost a century-old that stand to threaten the very fabric of a family born out of an era of discrimination, interment, and shame. A film as worthy as the story it brings to life. Sensational cast and chemistry. A must see..