The Targeted Village: A Screening and Conversation on Grassroots Resistance in Okinawa

Presented by Asia-Pacific Islanders People Solidarity (APIPS). Co-sponsored by The Center for Place, Culture and Politics (CUNY Graduate Center), The Center for the Humanities (CUNY Graduate Center), Revolutionizing American Studies (CUNY Graduate Center), and Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU.

The Targeted Village focuses on the residents of Takae district in northern Okinawa, their recent protests against the construction of US military helipads and deployment of Osprey helicopters, and the Japanese government’s attempt to coax and silence them. Released in Japan in 2014, the 91-minute film is based on an award-winning TV program produced by Chie Mikami. The film takes its title from Takae’s history, where the US military used their land and residents as a mock target in jungle warfare training during the Vietnam War. The subtropical rainforest surrounding Takae is still being used for US Marine Corps training, including guerrilla attacks, infantry training and helicopter drills. The contested deployment of MV-22 Osprey aircrafts at the Futenma Air Base was met with an unprecedented, complete shutdown of the Air Base by Okinawa residents. They were later forcibly removed by police in scenes most major networks never aired. According to Mikami, the film “showed well who the people of Okinawa are fighting against and why they are forced to fight such a battle.”

The film will be followed by short presentations about Okinawa struggles and Q&A session with Okinawa native Megumi Chibana (University of Hawai’i) and Yuko Tonohira (Sloths Against Nuclear State, NYC) who have been supporting on-the-ground struggles in Okinawa.

Refreshments to follow at the Center for Place, Culture and Politics seminar room 6107. This event is free and open to the public.