Come early as there will be a special Taiko drum performance by Kaminari Taiko in the theater before the film.

Co-Director Keri Pickett and TaikoArts Midwest Executive Director Jennifer Weir will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. A reception will be held in the AFS lobby after the Q&A.

For thousands of years women have been locked out of Taiko drumming. Not anymore. In the dead of a Minnesota winter, Asian drumming divas smash gender roles and redefine power on their own terms. FINDING HER BEAT dives into the rhythms and struggles that lead to an electrifying historic performance that changes everything.

In the midst of a frozen Minnesota winter, a Japanese drum master and Korean adoptee from North Dakota join forces to assemble the world’s best Taiko drummers in a bold effort to claim a cultural spotlight that has historically been reserved only for men.

Their rhythm revolution includes rock stars from the world of Taiko: Tiffany Tamaribuchi, Kaoly Asano, Chieko Kojima, Megan Chao-Smith, and Jennifer Weir.

Through grueling rehearsals, Jennifer weaves together their disparate voices and styles. Vulnerability, pain, and joys are shared—and we quickly see the bonds of friendship form as these talented women navigate their way through differences in culture, age, language, and performing styles.

As the clock ticks toward their first performance, it becomes clear that their story has become much larger than Taiko.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Kaminari Taiko enriches the lives of their members and audiences by learning, performing, and preserving the Japanese art of taiko. Since the group’s founding in 1996, Kaminari Taiko has expanded its cultural influence across Texas and the Gulf South. They reach thousands of people each year through concerts, festivals, and classes. By fusing traditional instruments with modern rhythms, Kaminari strives to respectfully advance taiko as an art form, and to inspire audiences in Texas and beyond.