ALTERNATIVE FACTS
As The Bay School of San Francisco marks its 20th anniversary, they are shedding light on the history of their home in the Presidio at 35 Keyes Avenue. It was from a room in 35 Keyes that General John DeWitt implemented Executive Order 9066, the Civilian Exclusion Order, which led to the years-long incarceration of nearly 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent, as well as the seizure of property and possessions. Directed by local filmmaker and civil rights activist Jon Osaki, Alternative Facts “exposes the lies used to justify the decision and the cover-up that went all the way to the Supreme Court.” The screening will be followed by a panel. Co-presented by the Bay School of the San Francisco and the Presidio Theatre.
This event is proudly sponsored by the Bay School of San Francisco and the Presidio Trust.
About the Film
ALTERNATIVE FACTS: The Lies of Executive Order 9066 is a one-hour documentary feature film about the false information and political influences which led to the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans.
ALTERNATIVE FACTS sheds light on the people and politics that influenced the signing of the infamous Executive Order 9066, which authorized the mass incarceration of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans. The film will expose the lies used to justify the decision and the cover-up that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. ALTERNATIVE FACTS will also examine the parallels to the current climate of fear, attitudes towards immigrant communities, and similar attempts to abuse the powers of the government.
Learn more about the film at the ALTERNATIVE FACTS website.
About the Panel
Following the screening, Emmy award–winning television and radio reporter and producer Jan Yanehiro will moderate a discussion with the filmmaker Jon Osaki as well as Don Tamaki, a civil rights lawyer and member of the pro-bono legal team that overturned the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Korematsu v. the United States, and Karen Korematsu, daughter of civil rights activist Fred Korematsu and founder of the Korematsu Institute. The Bay School is honored to bring these esteemed guests together to discuss a history that is still very much present.
About the Filmmaker
Jon Osaki is an award-winning community leader and independent filmmaker. He is a native San Franciscan and has served as the Executive Director of the Japanese Community Youth Council since 1996. During Jon’s tenure as Executive Director, JCYC has grown to become one of San Francisco’s most successful youth organizations, annually serving over 7,000 children and youth from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
Jon is also an award-winning filmmaker who has directed and produced promotional, educational, narrative, and documentary films. In 2020, a screening of Jon’s documentary ALTERNATIVE FACTS: The Lies of Executive Order 9066 was hosted on Capitol Hill in Washington DC by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. In 2021 and 2022, ALTERNATIVE FACTS was broadcast nationally through PBS.
In 2020, Jon also released the award-winning documentary short Reparations. The film was screened virtually for a national audience with leaders from the Urban League, Race Forward, The Advancement Project, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Stop Repeating History and Jon appearing on the post-screening panel. Reparations has been screened at Black and Asian American Film Festivals, reparations convening, national conventions, and religious gatherings to education the public about the movement.
In 2021, Jon released Not Your Model Minority which explores the origins of the myth and the intersections with past and present anti-Asian violence. The film has been used to promote dialogue on the need for multi-racial movements to build power and combat harmful narratives which divide communities of color.
TICKETING
Ticket prices are subject to change. The Presidio Theatre allows returns up to 48 hours in advance of a performance. Processing fees cannot be refunded. For more information, please see the theatre’s Return Policy.
If you need assistance with ticketing please contact us at boxoffice@presidiotheatre.org or 415-960-3949.