Our Mr. Matsura

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Frank Matsura, the orphaned son of a samurai, emigrates to the American West in 1901, settling in remote Washington State. There he joins a community of Native people and newly arrived settlers. He quickly becomes the region’s leading photographer and most beloved citizen. His work, which transcends the prosaic photographs typical of the times, is characterized by unusual self-portraits and playful collaborations with his subjects. His death at age 39 is a blow to all. A century later, the people of the county and the tribes still have pride and a sense of personal connection to him and the work he created.

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Biography Beth Harrington:

Beth Harrington is an Emmy-winning, Grammy-nominated independent producer, director and writer, born in Boston and transplanted to the Pacific Northwest. She most often focuses on work that explores American history, music and culture. Harrington’s independent production Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, a music documentary about the pioneering women of rock and roll, was honored with a 2003 Grammy nomination. This and other work reflect a long-standing love of music. She’s been a singer and sometimes guitarist, most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on Sire Records. In 2015 her film The Winding Stream – The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music premiered at SXSW, later appearing in over 30 film festivals in the U.S. and abroad.

Her latest projects include the documentary Beyond the Duplex Planet about artist David Greenberger, and Our Mr. Matsura, a historical film about a Japanese photographer’s unconventional work documenting the people of Washington State in the early 1900s.

Harrington has also worked with public television stations WGBH in Boston and OPB in Portland producing, researching, and developing shows for both national and local air on series such as Nova, Frontline, History Detectives, Oregon Art Beat and Oregon Experience. Her film Fort Vancouver received a NW Emmy for Best Historical/Cultural Program in 2019 and her piece Once Upon a Time in the Northwest – The Music of Federale, a NW Emmy for Best Arts/Entertainment - Long Form Content in 2021.

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