Celia Catunda's "Ma famille de samouraïs" Tells Japanese Diaspora Story in South America

Brazilian director Celia Catunda's latest animated feature, "Ma famille de samouraïs," centers on a young boy and his grandfather to recount the history of Japanese migrants who moved to South America during the 1920s. The film presents a colorful narrative set against the backdrop of the Japanese diaspora, a subject rarely explored in animation. Through the relationship between the two characters, the movie traces the experience of Japanese families who left their homeland for South America in that decade. The review appeared in Le Monde on September 16, 2026, in the culture section. Catunda, known for her work in Brazilian animation, directs this feature-length project that combines family storytelling with historical migration. The film's visual approach is described as colorful, and its focus on the Nipponese diaspora in South America distinguishes it from more commonly depicted migration narratives. The story uses the grandfather-grandson dynamic to convey the broader historical movement of Japanese people to the region in the 1920s. The review highlights the film's narrative and aesthetic qualities while situating it within the context of diaspora cinema.