Experiencing Interruptions?

Follow the Sun

Born in postwar Japan, Akemi searches for the unknown American sailor who was her biological father. At age 65, she embarks on a journey of discovery with her sister using DNA data and US census records from the 1940s. Their findings lead them to a new set of family and shed light on a long-forgotten love affair that changed the course of their lives.

  • Sybil Wendler
    Director
    Once Upon a Rooftop, The Magician, Fragments of a Revolution
  • Sherry Mesman
    Producer
  • Sybil Wendler
    Producer
    Once Upon a Rooftop, The Magician, Fragments of a Revolution
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Cross-cultural, Family, War, History
  • Runtime:
    26 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 28, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED, BLACKMAGIC, DRONE
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sybil Wendler

Sybil Wendler is a filmmaker based in San Diego, California. Past work includes her award-winning documentary, Once Upon a Rooftop, a film that presents an intimate look at the haphazard dwellings illegally erected on top of old buildings that are scattered across Hong Kong. These rooftop tenements shelter mostly migrants coming from Mainland China who are the working-poor of this privileged city. She has also collaborated with the highly acclaimed conceptual artist, Eleanor Antin, in a joint directorial art film entitled Fragments of a Revolution that centers on Antin’s metaphorical characters that blend history with fantasy. Sybil's current documentary, Follow the Sun, continues a cinematic practice that is grounded in a social discourse on the themes of belonging and cultural identity. Her work is further influenced by the literary movement of magical realism, crafting films that reflect a beguiling dance between the empirical world and the imaginary.

Add Director Biography