Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo

Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo, a documentary film released in 1991, is an enriching and evocative journey into the life of a remarkable woman who left an indelible mark on the canvas of history with her outstanding bravery, devotion, and artistic prowess. Directed and produced by Stephen L. Fugita, the film stars Estelle Peck Ishigo as herself, along with Lynn O'Donnell and Dorothy Stroup. The film takes us on a revealing tour of Ishigo's tumultuous life, during the harshest days of the Second World War when she chose to accompany her Japanese-American husband into an internment camp.

The true story of Estelle Ishigo is one of love, commitment, and the overpowering human spirit to endure amidst adversities. Drawn into the throes of war-time tumult due to her husband, Arthur Ishigo, who was of Japanese descent, Estelle, a Caucasian woman, chose to accompany him into the confines of an internment camp in Wyoming. The film captures how the war brought unimaginable shifts in her life's course, her experiences within the camp, and the compelling art that emerged from it.

Acting as herself, Estelle Ishigo strikes a heartfelt chord with the audience, sharing firsthand accounts of her experience, struggles, and resilience. The documentary has a narrative style that threads together interviews with Ishigo and other people who knew her, supported by archival sources, historical evidence, personal anecdotes, and above all, her evocative sketches and watercolors drawn in the internment camp. These drawings and paintings, mirroring daily life, human endurance, and the harsh realities of the inmates, provide a poignant perspective to this overlooked part of American history.

In Days of Waiting, Lynn O'Donnell lends her voice as the narrator, weaving together the diverse facets of Ishigo's life with poise and depth. Providing commentary and analysis through vintage photographs, personal mementos, and Ishigo's art, she makes the narrative trenchant and impactful. O'Donnell's narration works in perfect harmony with the visuals, giving the viewer a rich sensory experience of the events that unfolded in Ishigo's life and society at large.

Dorothy Stroup joins the film with her insights and observations as a historian, adding layers of gravitas to the narrative. Through her expert commentary, the film manages to expand the horizons of the narrative, connecting the dots between personal history, human resilience, art, and the larger socio-political events of the era.

Days of Waiting is much more than just a recollection of historical events. It is a sensitive and moving portrayal of a woman who stands her ground amidst adversity, plowing through prejudice and war-time tension with her artistic talent and unflagging spirit. The film portrays the power of art as a beacon of hope, a means of survival, and a mirror to society during one of the darkest periods in human history.

The film is an impactful saga of love, commitment, and survival amid socio-political upheaval. Estelle Ishigo's life story offers a uniquely personal perspective on war and internment camps, capturing the human spirit's fragility and resilience. Her vivid and emotive drawings and watercolors provide us with a touching, firsthand perspective above and beyond what one might find in a history book.

Days of Waiting is not just a tribute to an extraordinary woman but also an effort to illuminate an eclipsed chapter in history. The film documents the raw and real-life narrative of sacrifice, love, horror, strength, and the human ability to find beauty even in the bleakest circumstances. It's an enlightening narrative, subtly interwoven with the omnipresent aspect of Ishigo's art - adding an aesthetic dimension while unveiling an emotional landscape that words often fail to capture.

In sobering tones and evocative imagery, the film explores themes of love, identity, endurance, and the transformative power of art. Though set amid war and social upheaval, Days of Waiting draws out the underlying humanity through the lens of Ishigo's resilience and her remarkable ability to find beauty in the gloomiest corners of her life.

Watch Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo and witness an incredible story of love transcending societal norms, the compelling power of art, and the indomitable spirit of a woman who chose to stand by her love in the face of unwarranted adversity.