WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!

Hello all...been a little while since we blogged. The summer's been busy as we move on to our future projects, travel to cities to promote the film and get the DVD ready for a September release. But the highlight has to be last week's screening/concert with the legendary folk singer Noel "Paul" Stookey. As many of you know, Noel is the "Paul" in Peter, Paul and Mary. They sang some of this country's most recognizable songs like "Puff the Magic Dragon", "Blowin' in the Wind" and "If I Had a Hammer". In the 60s and 70s they inspired a whole generation of people to think about the world in a different way. They are among the greats like Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and many, many others to come out of that era. Noel still tours and continues to tout the beliefs and values that made his group's messages so strong and enduring. Anyway, we were invited by ANA, the Japanese airline, to attend a screening in NY which we enthusiastically accepted mainly because ANA helped us while we made the film. YAY ANA! I told Noel about it and he joined us in NY to sing his "Song for Megumi" which he wrote last year after hearing the story of Megumi and her family. He performed the song in Tokyo earlier this year for Megumi's parents as well as a select group of dignitaries including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The screening last week was at the ImaginAsian Theater. The event was totally sold out with organizers turning people away at the door. Sorry to those of you who didn't get in but the DVD is coming soon! Noel sang his song beautifully despite rushing to get to the venue and nearly missing the entire affair due to flight delays. Afterwards, all three of us gave a Q&A which was a real bonus for us because we got to hear Noel talk about his inspiration for writing the song. Moreover, it was great to have someone on stage with us who supports the families and who doesn't have any particular political agenda when it comes to supporting them. Thanks Noel for a fantastic evening!

LEGENDARY FOLK SINGER GIVES RARE PERFORMANCE BEFORE FILM!!

Legendary folk singer to perform Japanese
abduction song in New York City
Filmmakers will join him for the first time



For Immediate release
8/21/07

Washington, DC The issue of the abduction of Japanese citizens by North

Korea will get special attention Wednesday night as legendary folk
singer Noel Paul Stookey (the "Paul" in Peter, Paul and Mary) joins the

award-winning filmmakers behind "ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story" for

a special concert in New York City. Stookey will perform "Song for
Megumi" to open the documentary film which will screen at ImaginAsian
Theater for one night only.
Stookey wrote the song after hearing the story of Megumi, who was
kidnapped from Niigata, Japan nearly 30 years ago by North Korean
spies. She was just 13 years old at the time. Her story and the
remarkable struggle her parents have waged to bring her home is the
centerpiece for the groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed
documentary, "ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story." The film has won
numerous awards and been praised by the New York Times, Los Angeles
Times, Variety, TV Guide, the Chicago Tribune, New Yorker magazine, the

Independent and many others. It has been shown on TV all over the world

and will be on PBS's Independent Lens next May.
Stookey performed "Song for Megumi" earlier this year in a special
concert in Tokyo attended by Megumi's parents as well as Japanese
dignitaries including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This will be the first

time he's performed it in conjunction with the film.
"ABDUCTION" is produced in association with the BBC and with the
assistance of Fuji TV. The Executive Producer of the film is Jane
Campion, the Oscar-winning director of "The Piano".
The event is being sponsored by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and begins at
7pm. ImaginAsian Theater is located at 239 East 59th Street, New York.
Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim, the husband-wife team behind "ABDUCTION"
will be present for a question-and-answer session following the film.