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<dd>From: Aoki Film <aokifilm@gmail.com><br><br>
<dd>Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 8:48 PM<br><br>
<dd>To all educators,<br><br>
<dd>On November 12, </b>AOKI, a documentary film on the life of Richard
Aoki, a third-generation Japanese American who became one of the founding
members of the Black Panther Party, will premiere at the Grand Lake
Theater in Oakland</b>. We encourage you to spread the word to your
students about this important event. It's a great opportunity to
educate on issues of social justice, solidarity and community
activism. Making announcements in class, providing extra credit to
your students and/or using this as a time to teach about the life and
legacy of Richard Aoki and the work of the Black Panthers, are all ways
you can help take part in this effort.<br><br>
</i>
<dd>Tickets are currently on sale at
<a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178">
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178</a>. Information on
the film along with how to purchase tickets are below. Please feel
free to pass this message along to other educators and
community.<br><br>
<dd>Thanks in advance,<br><br>
<dd>Ben Wang & Mike Cheng, Filmmakers<br><br>
<dd>----------------------<br><br>
<br>
<dd>World premiere of the documentary film <br>
<dd>AOKI<br>
<dd>November 12<br>
<dd>8PM<br>
<dd>Grand Lake Theater<br>
<dd>3200 Grand Ave., Oakland<br>
<dd>A 30 minute Q&A panel with the filmmakers will follow<br><br>
<dd>Tickets</b>:<br><br>
<dd>Online pre-sale tickets can be purchased for $8.50 (general
admission) or $7 (students) at
<a href="https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178">
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178</a>. A small service fee
will be added by Brown Paper Tickets. <br><br>
<dd>Tickets can also be purchased the night of the premiere at the Grand
Lake Theater's box office for $10 (general admission) or $9
(students).<br><br>
<dd>Film description</b>:<br><br>
<dd>AOKI is a documentary film chronicling the life of Richard Aoki
(1938-2009), a third-generation Japanese American who became one of the
founding members of the Black Panther Party. Filmed over the last five
years of Richard's life, this documentary features extensive footage with
Richard and exclusive interviews with his comrades, friends, and former
students. Viewers will learn about Richard’s childhood in a WWII
Japanese American concentration camp, growing up in West Oakland, and
serving eight years in the U.S. military. The film explores previously
unknown facts about the formation of the Black Panther Party such as how
Richard became intimately involved in its founding and contributed the
first two firearms to the Party. AOKI highlights how Richard's leadership
also made a significant impact on individuals and groups in the
contemporary Asian American Movement. Richard's contributions to the
groundbreaking organization Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA) and
its involvement in the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) student strike
led to the formation of ethnic studies at U.C. Berkeley. Above all else,
AOKI is a film that demonstrates the incredible dedication to justice
that one man's life has had and how the lessons of solidarity,
commitment, and discipline can carry on from one generation to the
next.<br><br>
<dd>Check the <a href="http://www.aokifilm.com/">www.AokiFilm.com</a> for
more details, trailers, and excerpts from the film. <br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
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522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
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