The Ultimate Immigrant Success Story Arrives in a New Japanese-Language Version
Sneak Preview Screening: "Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators"
(Monkey Business Osaru no George Chosha no Daiboken)
followed by a Q&A with director Ema Ryan Yamazaki and narrator Yumi Kawai
Tuesday, June 23 at 6:00 pm
In Japanese with English subtitles USA 2017/Japan 2026 82 minutes
Directed, produced and edited by: Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Executive produced by: Eric Nyari
Animation by: Jacob Kafka
Narration: Yumi Kawai
Film courtesy of Cineric Creative
Oscar- and Emmy-nominated documentarian Ema Ryan Yamazaki began her career with an extraordinary film tracing the remarkable journey of the husband-and-wife team behind the mischievous monkey, George, whose adventures had captivated readers around the globe since his first appearance in 1941.
Blending archival footage, interviews, original illustrations and hand-drawn animation inspired by the beloved books themselves, Yamazaki's 2017 "Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators" followed Hans (H.A.) and Margret Rey as they crossed borders, faced formidable challenges and enchanted successive generations.
Now, celebrating the 85th anniversary of George's birth and expanding audience reach, Yamazaki has created a Japanese-language version of her award-winning film, featuring narration by acclaimed actor Yumi Kawai and a local voice cast.
"Everyone thinks Curious George is such an American icon," says the Rey's editor, Anita Silvey, one of the film's many insightful interviewees, "but he was created by German Jews who lived in Paris, took him through Brazil and then brought him to the United States. So he's as much of an immigrant as anyone." Indeed, the Reys were already Jewish refugees when, in 1940, they fled from Paris on handmade bicycles ahead of the Nazi invasion, with the manuscripts and drawings for a children’s book about animals packed in their bags.
The rest of their adventures are nearly as dramatic, and their artistic partnership, as well as their resilience, enlivens this true tale of an iconic American figure who was borne of one of Europe's darkest hours yet found a home in the hearts of children around the world, selling 75 million copies in dozens of languages.
Please join us for this sneak preview of the new English-subtitled Japanese version of "Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators" before the Japanese release on August 14.
For more (in Japanese): http://monkeybusiness.espace-sarou.com/
Director EMA RYAN YAMAZAKI graduated from New York University and began her career as an editor and an assistant to documentary mogul Sam Pollard. Her first feature documentary was "Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators" (2017), which won the Audience Award at the Nantucket Film Festival and was released worldwide. She has continued to create award-winning documentaries, including "Koshien: Field of Dreams" (2019), "The Making of a Japanese" (2023), which was nominated for a Documentary Emmy Award in 2026, and the short documentary "Instruments of a Beating Heart," which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2025. Among other collaborations, Yamazaki served as an editor of Shiori Ito's Oscar-nominated "Black Box Diaries" (2024) and of Poh Si Teng's "American Doctor," which premiered at Sundance 2026.
Actor YUMI KAWAI is one of the leading actors of her generation, known for acclaimed performances across film, television and theater. She won numerous major acting awards for her breakout performances in films including "A Balance" (2021) and "Plan 75" (2022), which earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 16th Asian Film Awards. She went on to the earn a Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actress for "A Girl Named Ann" (2024), and has since starred in "Desert of Namibia" (2024), "She Taught Me Serendipity" (2025), and "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" (2025).
Please make your reservations at the FCCJ Reception Desk 03 3211-3161 or register online.
All film screenings are private, noncommercial events primarily for FCCJ members and their guests.
- Karen Severns, Film Committee・