Ariadne’s  Notes! On the World Poetry Café Radio Show, CFRO 100.5 FM  March 21 was so honoured to have the acclaimed and talented author Joy Kogawa  calling in from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to promote her latest adventure, East of the Rockies and offer words of wisdom for the people of the world.  Her  new AR apt sounds  wonderful , giving reality to the lost or hidden stories of the families of those in  Japanese internment in WWII.

LISTEN HERE TO THE SHOW!  *To save the link, right click and save as.*

East of the Rockies, an augmented reality (AR) story by Vancouver-born, acclaimed author Joy Kogawa, produced by Jam3 and the National Film Board of Canada, launches in the App Store today.

Joy Kogawa, Jam3 and the NFB bring Canadian history to life through immersive AR experience East of the Rockies:
An interactive app retelling of acclaimed author Joy Kogawa’s story about Japanese internment in WWII

(On the left: banner of East of the Rockies. Image provided by the NFB/ Top image: Joy Kogawa. Photo: Yukiko Onley/ Bottom image: Anne Canute. Photo: Katja De Bock)

March 1, 2019 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada

Acclaimed Canadian author Joy Kogawa, Toronto-based design and experience agency Jam3 and the National Film Board of Canada have unveiled East of the Rockies, an interactive augmented reality (AR) app based on true events about life in one of Canada’s Japanese internment camps.

East of the Rockies’ AR narrative follows 17-year-old Yuki as her family adjusts to life in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. The story takes inspiration from Kogawa’s novels Obasan and Itsuka, which chronicle the persecution of Japanese citizens in Canada during the war.

After activating the AR mode, app users can interact with Yuki’s story by tapping, inspecting and zooming in on key elements inside the Slocan Internment Camp. Each of these elements activates a scripted narrative spoken by Yuki, illuminating different aspects of the camp. East of the Rockies is a fully animated and voiced narrative, with Kogawa’s granddaughter Anne Canute providing the voice of Yuki.

“I’m grateful that this little story in Canada is not going to be lost,” says Joy Kogawa. “There are so many stories that are lost, that ought not to be, so it’s a wonderful thing to see it happening here in this way. I think it’s very exciting to be at the beginning of this kind of thing, how lucky is that?”

“By using immersive storytelling in East of the Rockies, we can educate a brand-new audience with a learn-through-gameplay experience leveraging the power of AR on iPhone and iPad,” adds Dirk van Ginkel, Creative Director at Jam3. “In working with Joy, we’ve been able to show what life was like when the Canadian government exiled the Japanese community. Sometimes to move forward as a society, we must look back and acknowledge past injustices – we hope that this is a platform for reflection.”

“At 83 years old, Joy has teamed up with artists and producers to leverage an exciting new technology and craft an important historical story for a new generation of Canadians,” says NFB Executive Producer Rob McLaughlin. “It’s an intergenerational story of love, loss, injustice and healing, and we hope it will lead to a greater understanding of Canada’s past at a time when issues of identity and race remain at the heart of so many contemporary debates.”

Students will also have the opportunity to take a more in-depth look at East of the Rockies with a high-school learning kit. The NFB Education kit poses questions and scenarios to help students understand and go deeper into the experience of life in the Slocan Internment Camp. The learning kit is available at eastoftherockies.com.

The AR features in East of the Rockies leverage Apple’s ARKit framework, bringing immersive visuals and a dynamic way to learn about an important moment in history. The experience is exclusive to iPhone and iPad running iOS 12, including iPhone 6s and newer, iPad (5th generation) and all iPad Pro models.

East of the Rockies is available on the App Store beginning March 1, 2019.
The app will be free to download in the first week, from March 1-8.

About Jam3

Jam3 is a design and experience agency known for smart, innovative and inspired work. We work closely with our clients to understand their problems and solve them in creative ways. From our offices in Toronto, Los Angeles and Montevideo, we team up with forward-thinking brands from around the world.
Our partners include Google, Spotify, Microsoft, Adidas, Facebook, Ford, Sephora, MTV and Disney Pixar. Modesty aside, our diverse work has received global recognition from Cannes to The One Show, and even the Pulitzer Prize. To learn more, visit us at Jam3.com.

About the NFB

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is one of the world’s leading digital content hubs, creating groundbreaking interactive documentaries and animation, mobile content, installations and participatory experiences. NFB interactive productions and digital platforms have won 100 awards, including 18 Webbys. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for mobile devices.Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopsis: East of the Rockies

 Source and with thanks to Katja De Bock.
Publicist
National Film Board of Canada
BC and Yukon Studio / North West Studio