How women taiko drummers film Finding Her Beat went from a 1-night performance to full documentary with ‘can-do’ message
- Finding Her Beat is about a historic women’s taiko drumming performance, with many involved in the project from the Asian-American and LGBTQ communities
- Its producer explains how women face barriers taking up the activity, while a performer says the intensive rehearsal schedule was like a ‘giant diva mosh pit’
Finding Her Beat was simply meant to be a recorded version of a one-night concert in the US state of Minnesota dedicated to the ancient Japanese art of taiko drumming.
But after Jennifer Weir, the executive director of TaikoArts Midwest, had lunch with her long-time friend, filmmaker Dawn Mikkelson, a larger idea began to brew.
The result is a documentary feature film that has become the darling of the festival circuit, with sold-out screenings and a place on global streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
At its heart is a story about taiko performers who converge on Minnesota in the months before the Covid-19 pandemic begins, to connect, network, practise and then mount a historic, sold-out taiko performance.
Many of those involved with the project, on screen and behind it, are Asian-American and from the LGBTQ community.
