CIFF

Finding Her Beat

CIFF Streams

April 2, 2023 - April 9, 2023

directed by
Dawn Mikkelson
directed by
Keri Pickett
year
2022
country
USA, Japan
runtime
89
closed captions
Yes
audio description
No
english subtitles
No
film contact
Dawn Mikkelson
film contact email
[email protected]

Hear that? It’s the pulsating, earth-shattering beat breaking through thousands of years of gender norms as Japanese drum master Tiffany Tamaribuchi and North Dakotan/Korean adoptee Jennifer Weir train women in the art of Taiko, a percussive art traditionally only performed by men, in preparation for a history-making concert. —M.G.


It’s February 2020 and a group of awe-inspiring women have been working tirelessly for months to put together a historic performance: the world’s first female-led Taiko drummers—an ancient art that has previously been only reserved for men. Battling exhaustion, limited rehearsal time, and the looming threat of a global pandemic, the group will stop at nothing to bring this dream to fruition. Coming together from multiple countries and a variety of backgrounds, these women find strength and belonging in one another and in their shared passion for Taiko. Under the leadership of Jennifer Weir, a charismatic powerhouse whose incredible vision sees the project through, FINDING HER BEAT is a mesmerizing documentary that reframes the days of early Covid as a time of magic, joy, and resilience. —G.S.


GUEST(S) ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR Q&A

Women of the World
Asian Cinema
Music Movies
CIFF47 Streams
Ad Hoc Docs Competition
Reel Women Direct Award for Excellence in Directing By a Woman

Community Partners

Cleveland Asian Festival