synopsis - Sleeping Tigers

(Canada/ 2003/ Director: Jari Osborne/ 50 min/ Documentary/ NFB)

Language: English

In pre-World War II Vancouver, the Asahi baseball team was unbeatable, outplaying the taller Caucasian teams and winning the prestigious Pacific Northwest Championship for five straight years. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the Canadian government sent every person of Japanese descent, whether born in Canada or not, to internment camps. Faced with hardship and isolation, the former Asahi members survived by playing baseball. Their passion for this quintessential North American game soon attracted other players, including RCMP and local townspeople, and the game of baseball helped to break down racial and cultural barriers. In Sleeping Tigers, award-winning director Jari Osborne skilfully weaves archival film and dramatic re-creations along with candid interviews with the last surviving members of the Asahi baseball team to tell a remarkable true story of Asian Canadians.

Selected Awards:

2004 Banff Rockie Award - Category: Sports Programs (Jury award) 

2004 Golden Sheaf Awards /Short Film and Video Festival 

2003 International Film and Video Festival (Best Feature Documentary) 

2003 San Diego Asian Film Festival 

睡虎

(加拿大/2003/導演: Jari Osborne/50分鐘/紀錄片/加拿大電影局) 

英文 

二次大戰前夕的溫哥華，朝日棒球隊每戰皆捷，連續五年打敗人高馬大的白人隊伍，贏得「西北太平洋冠軍盃」，不料之後日軍發動珍珠港事變，太平洋戰爭爆發，加拿大政府將每一位身上流著日裔血液，不管是不是在加國或海外出生的加拿大日人都關進了拘留所。面臨被監禁的艱苦日子，前朝日棒球隊隊員們便靠著練棒球度日。他們勤奮的練習和精湛的球技很快地吸引了當地的居民，包括皇家騎警。一起練球的經歷消除了彼此文化和種族的隔閡。獲獎導演jari Osborne運用歷史素材和戲劇性搬演的手法，加上當時仍健在的前朝日棒球隊員現身說法，重新復原了這段日裔加人的真實歷史片斷。

所獲獎項:

2004 Banff Rockie Award - Category: Sports Programs (Jury award)

       Golden Sheaf Awards /Short Film and Video Festival

2003 International Film and Video Festival (Best Feature Documentary)

       San Diego Asian Film Festival