In the barren, sun-drenched plains of wartime Wyoming, during the darkest years of World War II, a young Japanese American boy in a concentration camp finds comfort and a flicker of hope in an unlikely friend: a lively and curious magpie named Maggie.
Based on the real-life experiences of Shigeru Yabu and illustrated by the iconic Disney animator Willie Ito, “Hello Maggie!” is an animated story about love, survival, and resilience. It will be screened on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum’s Democracy Center, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo.
Following the screening, Ito will be joined by Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Executive Director Aura Newlin, Board Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi, and Board Vice Chair Douglas Nelson in a conversation moderated by Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of JANM. They will discuss the history behind the film, which is based on a book for young readers, and what comes next for places like Heart Mountain and JANM that are telling these difficult stories.
This program is a partnership with HMWF and JANM.
Admission is $5 general, free for JANM and HMWF members. Info/tickets: www.janm.org/events/2026-10-24/screening-and-conversation-hello-maggie-animator-willie-ito