japanese
YIDFF Network Special Screenings
  • A Movie Capital Again
  • The Cats of Mirikitani
  • Pahenlo Project
  • Pride in Blue
  • The Cats of Mirikitani


    USA / 2006 / English, Japanese / Color / 35mm (1:1.66) / 74 min

    Director: Linda Hattendorf
    Photography: Linda Hattendorf, Yoshikawa Masa
    Editing: Deguchi Keiko, Linda Hattendorf
    Music: Joel Goodman
    Producers: Yoshikawa Masa, Linda Hattendorf
    Production Company, World Sales: lucid dreaming inc.

    Octogenarian Japanese-American artist Jimmy Mirikitani is living on the streets. This miraculous story began on September 11, 2001, in front of the director’s apartment building, where the dust was giving Mirikitani coughing fits. This film portrays the trajectory of sixty lost years of Mirikitani’s life returned to him, and his mind becoming healed by friendship and art. A winner of numerous prizes at film festivals worldwide.



    [Director’s Statement] After 9/11, everything changed. In the middle of all the pervasive fear and hatred, I decided I wanted to do something positive. The human mind and soul are capable of accomplishing much better things. With those kinds of feelings present in my mind, I tell the story cinematically of one man’s first-hand recollections.


    Linda Hattendorf

    Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hattendorf studied literature, art history, and media studies in college. She has been involved in documentary film production in New York for more than ten years. The Cats of Mirikitani is her first film as director.