A film about place and memory, a farm in Japan and the life of the people who call home .
"In Fall 2007, Princeton Architectural Press published ‘Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan,” the memoir of retired AP foreign correspondent John Roderick. Moved by the story of this remarkable house and the memories it contained, and with seed funding from the Graham Foundation, we began work on a documentary film about John, his adopted son architect Yoshihiro Takishita, and the 250-year old house they shared. John died in March 2008 at the age of 93. ‘Minka’ is a meditation on place, architecture, memory and the meanings of home.”
- Davina Pardo, director/producer/camera & Andrew Blum, producer. Shot in Japan in 2008, on a Sony EX1. Edited by Lila Place.
*In Japanese, “Minka” is the name for private homes, usually a type owned by farmers, artisans and merchants. John Roderick wrote a book about his experience with the home, as well.
