“Resettlement: Chicago Story” the short film

“Resettlement: Chicago Story” is an educational program (film + interactive site) that explores one Japanese American family’s experience of rebuilding their lives in Chicago after they were released from the incarceration camps in WWII. The cinematic digital history project consists of a narrative short film and an immersive educational website for learners of all ages who are interested in post-WWII U.S. history.

Utilizing the power of cinematic storytelling, the educational website builds upon both the characters and historical themes of incarceration and resettlement introduced in the film. The film functions to create emotional investment in the characters and the time period and builds the world for the website, which provides the context of the historical period through primary and secondary sources carefully curated by a team of historians. “Resettlement: Chicago Story” is aimed towards 6-12th grade students but is easily adaptable to other grade levels and the general public.