THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI

DOCUMENTARY, USA, 2006, 74 minutes

Director/Cinematographer: Linda Hattendorf
Producers: Masa Hoshikawa, Linda Hattendorf
Editors: Keiko Deguchi, Linda Hattendorf

A familiar figure on the streets of Soho during the 90s, Jimmy Mirikitani sat on the sidewalk turning out countless paintings of cats and, less happily, of the Tule Lake internment camp where he was imprisoned for over three years, and of Hiroshima, where he grew up and where his mother’s entire family died in the bombing. Documentarian Linda Hattendorf began videotaping the elderly, homeless artist in 2001, and on 9/11, when the neighborhood was so engulfed by smoke and ash that it turned into a black and white movie version of itself, she invited him into her apartment. As Jimmy reveals his frustrations and his anger toward the government that took away years of his life and unlawfully revoked his American citizenship, Hattendorf tries to gets him into the social service system and discovers how easy it is to get lost in America. (Amy Taubin)

• 2006 Tribeca Film Festival: Audience Award
• 2006 New York Documentary Feature Competition: Honorable Mention

Linda Hattendorf has been working in the New York documentary community for more than a decade. Her editing work has aired on PBS, A&E, The Sundance Channel and in theatrical venues and many festivals. Other credits include Associate Editor on Barbara Kopple's BEARING WITNESS, cameraperson for William Greaves' SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM TAKE 2 1/2, and a researcher for the Ken Burns series THE WEST. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds degrees in Literature, Art History, and Media Studies. This is her directorial debut.