Upcoming Film Screening Ffr Malden Reads: ‘The Cats of Mirikitani’ – March 15, 6-8 p.m.

  The Malden Public Library and Malden Reads are excited to announce a special screening of the film documentary “The Cats of Mirikitani” on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. We will be joined by the film’s director, Linda Hattendorf (via Zoom), for a Q&A discussion after the film.

  In 2001, on the streets of New York City, Linda Hattendorf met an elderly homeless man who created whimsical paintings of cats and only accepted money from passers-by if they took one of his paintings in exchange. As the tragedy of 9/11 unfolded, Hattendorf invited the artist into her home and learned that he was Jimmy Mirikitani, a Sacramento, California-born man whose family moved from California to Hiroshima, only to flee Japan as World War II began. Over time, with remarkable compassion and empathy from Hattendorf, Mirikitani revealed that he is a “Grand Master Artist” who once met Jackson Pollock, and that during World War II he was one of the thousands of Japanese-American people who were forced to go to Tule Lake, one of the most notorious Japanese-American internment camps during World War II. This profound and gripping documentary is a story of art, resilience, compassion and healing and is not to be missed.

  This film screening is one of Malden Reads’ 2023 events (cosponsored by Malden Reads and the Malden Public Library) for the graphic novel “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei. Pick up a copy of the book in English or Spanish at the Library or read the e-book via Libby or Hoopla with your Library card. Join us for the film screening in person at the Library or register for the Q&A at https://bit.ly/maldenreads. For more information about this event, please call the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218.