Tsuyoshi Ihara

TALKING BLACK IN AMERICA - ROOTS is a celebration of African American resiliency, creativity, and ingenuity, finding a connection of the spirit among the peoples and societies of West Africa and the African Diaspora.

Why does one need a ferryman? One needs a ferryman where there is a body of water and a bridge does not exist. The village high in the hills has a ferryman, but a bridge is in the works. The poor peasant is about to become even more poor. The people, livestock and goods won't need his services much longer. His life also takes an abrupt turn another way. He meets a young girl on a day when everything was supposed to go like any other day. —aghaemi

A young man who is curious about his deceased parents' past takes a food journey to Singapore, where he uncovers more than just delicious meals. A young man in Japan cooks ramen in his dad's popular restaurant. When his dad dies and he sees a video on Singaporean food on the Internet, he decides to visit the woman, who uploaded the video. His dead mom was from Singapore and he lived there until he was 10. He looks for his mom's brother, who still has a restaurant. They bond by cooking together. He learns to cook Chinese food and gets inspiration for the restaurant back home. —Scott Filtenborg