Nagasaki Dust

"(John) Okui returned to his father's homeland to bury his mother's ashes on her native soil and to come to terms with his Oriental ancestry and feelings of being 'a stranger' in his own country, America. While he's in Japan, Pearl Harbor is bombed, and Okui is drafted into the Japanese army. 'I had no choice,' he asserts. The only other option was to go to prison, but his self-stated fear of loneliness made him choose the army. His knowledge of both English and Japanese made him valuable in dealing with the American prisoners, and he was soon in charge. When the war ended, he found himself on trial for his life before the American army. Assigned to defend him is Lt. Randolph, who knows that this case could help him get a better job as a lawyer after the war. He also believes Okui guilty. As Okui's story unfolds, Randolph begins questioning both his opinion and the army's. Nagasaki Dust is a wonderfully intelligent script that continually challenges us to decide what actually transpired, only to again challenge our conclusions. McKay's crisp dialogue rings with honesty and clarity...the story is brought to life amid a swirl of reality and dreams that are both beautiful and horrifying... I recommend Nagasaki Dust very highly." (Jeff Rosen, Chicago Magazine)