And Then They Came for Us

And Then They Came for Us, Ginzberg and Schneider's (Soft Vengeance) overview of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II, was made as an act of solidarity with the Muslim American community after Donald Trump's election in 2016. It addresses the effects of internment on families, children, and businesses and the case of civil rights activist Fred Korematsu, the Tule Lake uprising, Ronald Reagan's apology, and the payment of reparations. Actor George Takei discusses his experience as a small child during that period. Featuring previously impounded photographs by Dorothea Lange together with interviews of internees and archival footage, this powerful film is a wake-up call to viewers on the power of activism.Aderer (Enemy Alien) takes on the same theme in Resistance at Tule Lake, relating the story of the Japanese American resistance to the internment. The film delves into the experiences of 12,000 Japanese Americans sent to the California facility from other camps on suspicion of disloyalty. At Tule Lake, many continued to fight for their right to self-determination and freedom as American citizens, often with heartbreaking results. Aderer contrasts photography by Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams and includes interviews with survivors. He also covers those who renounced their U.S. citizenship and returned to Japan, only to struggle after the war.