Short Film Screenings

Hello Maggie! Film Premiere 

Hello Maggie! is a book written by former Heart Mountain incarceree Shigeru Yabu that tells his story of being forced from the family’s home in San Francisco and sent to Heart Mountain in 1942. While in camp, Shig found a baby magpie that he kept as a pet during the war. The bird provided comfort to Shig, his family, and friends as they endured three years at Heart Mountain.

He wrote the book with legendary cartoonist and animator Willie Ito, who was also from San Francisco but incarcerated at the camp in Topaz, Utah. After the war, Willie went on to an illustrious career as an animator, including at the Walt Disney Co., where he was one of the lead artists for the 1955 classic Lady and the Tramp.

Inspired by this beloved book, we are excited to be hosting the international premiere of the animated short film Hello Maggie! at this year’s Pilgrimage. Willie Ito will be joined onstage by Tony Tarantini, the director of the film, and Carlo Chiarotti, the film’s composer, following the screening to discuss this artistic project nearly five years in the making. Under the direction of Tarantini and in collaboration with Ito, students from Accademia Nemo in Florence, Italy, and Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, industry professionals, and Heart Mountain staff have contributed to this project and produced a compelling audio-visual retelling of this story in animated form.