The Tale of Mari Trailer

This trailer is for The Tale of Mari, my graduate thesis film at RIT. It is a mixed-media animated documentary about my Okinawan grandmother, Mari Arakaki Gaskins, who grew up in Okinawa, Japan, before marrying an American Airman and moving to the USA.

The Tale of Mari was selected for RIT’s 2024 SOFA Honors Show and the Best of RIT Student Films screening at Dryden Theater. It has received the following honors and awards.

  • 1st Place Winner - Finger Lakes Film Festival

  • Best First Time Filmmaker - Hobnobben Film Festival

  • Runner-Up for Best Student Film - Women Over 50 Film Festival

  • Merit Award - Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival

The Tale of Mari has also been featured in the following festivals.

  • Boston Asian American Film Festival

  • CAFF The Cultural Animation Film Festival

  • Community Stories Film Festival

  • Fargo Film Festival

  • Okinawan Panorama - Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival

  • Richmond International Film Festival

  • The Women’s Film Festival

  • Valkyrie International Film Festival

Nominated, Semi-Finalist, or Honorable Mention

  • Toronto International Women Film Festival

  • DaVinci Film Festival

  • World of Film International Festival Glasgow


The Tale of Mari Film

Password: shoji

Press Kit

The Tale of Mari Electronic Press Kit Title Page

Please click on the image above to be linked to the EPK for The Tale of Mari.

Mari’s Original Comics

Thesis Paper

Abstract

The Tale of Mari is a mixed media animated documentary which follows the life of Mari Arakaki Gaskins. Shortly after moving to America in the 1970s, Mari began illustrating comic strips about a Japanese family, emulating the cartoons she saw in newspapers. She sent a letter to the creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, and included her comics. Davis sent her a response, and told her that her artwork was good. However, he believed that the strips were unlikely to be published, because comics about a young Japanese girl would not be relatable to American audiences.

Mari grew up during a transitional period in Okinawa, Japan. Coming from a mixed Okinawan-Filipino family, she struggled to fit in as Japan promoted assimilation into mainland Japanese culture. Meanwhile, the USA was developing a strong military presence on the island. After getting a job at the Kadena Air Force base due to her English language skills, she married Randy Gaskins, and moved with him back to America to start a family.

Though her comics were never published, her legacy is sustained by the impact she has on her family. With her free-spirited attitude and encouragement of creativity, many of her children and grandchildren continue to pursue music and arts.

My full thesis paper discussing the creation of The Tale of Mari is available through ProQuest.