Reception from 8pm

In 2010, a sleepy fishing town in Japan suddenly found itself in the worldwide media spotlight. The Cove, a documentary denouncing the town's longstanding whale and dolphin hunting traditions, won an Academy Award and overnight, the village of Taiji became a battleground for activists from around the world. Could a proud 400-year-old whaling tradition survive a tsunami of modern animal-rights activism and the colliding forces of globalism vs. localism? 

A Whale of a Tale reveals the complex story behind the ongoing debate on the whale and dolphin hunting traditions. Told through a wide range of characters including local fishermen, international activists, long-time Japanese residents, and an American journalist, this powerful documentary unearths a deep divide between Eastern and Western thought on nature, wildlife, and cultural sensitivity in the face of global activism.

Documentarian Megumi Sasaki's third feature-length film had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and has won awards in many other festivals. In August 2017, Sasaki published her first book with the same title of the film in Japanese. Winner of the 2018 Science Journalist Award, Okujirasama depicts the behind the scenes of the film’s production and delves into the historical and religious background of the whaling controversy. Join us for a screening of the film and a conversation between Sasaki and Asia Society Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski.

Megumi Sasaki’s first feature-length documentary film Herb & Dorothy (2008) won top honors at many international film festivals followed by her second film, Herb & Dorothy 50X50 (2013). The film had a nationwide theatrical release and continues to screen in theaters, museums and art fairs around the globe. A Whale of a Tale (2016) is her third feature length and has been invited to many international festivals winning top awards. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Sasaki was freelance journalist and news director for NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. She has lived in New York City since 1987.

Tom Nagorski became Executive Vice President of the Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism — having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. Before that, he was Foreign Editor for ABC’s World News Tonight, and a reporter and producer based in Russia, Germany, and Thailand. Nagorski was the recipient of eight Emmy awards and the Dupont Award for excellence in international coverage, as well as a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation. He has written for several publications and is the author of Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack. Nagorski is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Advisory Board of the Committee To Protect Journalists, and a Program Advisor to the Brooklyn Historical Society. He graduated from Princeton University in 1984.

For more information about the film, visit http://awhaleofatalefilm.com

Asia Society Southern California screening on August 14, 2018: https://asiasociety.org/southern-california/events/whale-tale