Canadian Premiere
In 1901, Frank (Sakae) Matsura, the son of a Samurai, left the security of his home in Japan and travelled to Washington State. Part of the first wave of Japanese immigrants to the United States, Matsura made his way from Seattle to Okanogan County, where he established a home for himself among the locals: settlers, miners, ranchers, members from the Colville Confederated Tribes, and fellow immigrants. His effect on those in Okanogan County is incalculable — his indispensable photographs of local events, landscapes, and people not only endeared him to them, but created a snapshot in time and a regional legacy that descendants still recognize a century later.
Director Beth Harrington highlights the unexpected playfulness of Matsura’s photography, revealing trust and intimacy in his work that opens up a unique window into the past. A far cry from the grim stoicism associated with the American West, Our Mr. Matsura is a joyful celebration of life revealed through the art of photography.
Presented by
Media Partner
USA
2025
In English and Japanese with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits & Director
Producer
Beth Harrington
Cinematography
Asia Brown, Naohiro Hashimoto
Editor
Kyung Lee, Emily von W. Gilbert
Original Music
Mark Orton
Beth Harrington
Producer, director, and writer Beth Harrington is an Emmy award–winning independent filmmaker whose work focuses on American culture, history, art, and music. Her film Welcome to the Club — The Women of Rockabilly (2003) was honoured with a Grammy nomination and broadcast on PBS. In 2014, her film The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music premiered at SXSW and won numerous festival awards and Best Documentary laurels, as well as Critics’ Picks from both the New York Times and the Village Voice.
Filmography: The Blinking Madonna and Other Miracles (1996); Welcome to the Club: The Women of Rockabilly (2001); The Winding Stream (2014)
Portraits
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