A Journey Home

“A Journey Home,” based on a poem written by six Marshallese students living in Springdale, Arkansas, is an animated short film honoring the many meanings of home: as Arkansas, as the Marshall Islands, and as Earth that needs to be protected for the next generation. Springdale, Arkansas is home to the largest population of Marshallese in the United States. Local organizations estimate more than 12,000 Marshallese live in Springdale, with the population expected to increase as new families immigrate and existing ones expand. Many of the youth have only been to the Marshall Islands once when they were very young, while others have not visited at all. But many of them are beginning to learn about the Marshall Islands’ terrible nuclear legacy: their native homeland was the site of 67 nuclear tests conducted by the United States from 1946 to 1958. Overall, three hundred nuclear tests were conducted in the Pacific region, which inflicted both long-lasting environmental harm and humanitarian suffering amongst the citizens of the Pacific region. “A Journey Home” as a poem and as an animated short serves as a creative journey back home, and recognizes the deep and complex connections between nuclear weapons history, survival, and the creation of diaspora.

Directed by Caterine Killough
Produced by Lovely Umayam
Written by Daphne Peter, Marcina Langrine, Joyce Hirose, Neimony Netwan, Trina Marty, Benetick Kabua-Maddison

Director’s Bio: Catherine Killough is a Korean American visual storyteller born in Tucson, Arizona and based in Washington, DC. She is an emerging animator interested in illuminating the experiences of diasporic communities in the US. She previously worked in nuclear policy as an advocate for disarmament, demilitarization, and peace-building efforts on the Korean Peninsula. Catherine has an MA in Asian Studies from Georgetown University and a BA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Arizona.

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