Yuri E Makino

Interests

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Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Makino, Y. E. (2017). Lone Star (encyclopedia excerpt). In Race in American Film: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation(pp pp. 554-556). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
• Makino, Y. E. (2017). Smoke Signals (encyclopedia excerpt). In Race in American Film: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation(pp pp. 799-801). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
• Makino, Y. E. (2009). Cinematic Reservations: An Interview with Chris Eyre. In Filming Difference(pp pp. 247-260). University Texas Press.

Presentations

• Makino, Y. E. (2015, Summer). Formal Response to narrative short "The Day I Grew Up". UFVA Conference Screening. Washington DC.
  More info

  Individual Presenter
• Makino, Y. E. (2014, January). Show & Tell @ The Playground. Presentation of Rough & Tumble documentary. The Playground: Confluence Center.
• Makino, Y. E. (2014, September). Smart Talks. The Life Examined: Films by Yuri Makino. UA Campus: Honors College.
• Makino, Y. E. (2008, Summer). Formal Response to "Walker". UFVA Conference Screening. Colorado Springs.
  More info

  Individual Presenter
• Makino, Y. E. (2007, August 8). Respondent to film "Open Window". University Film and Video Association conference. Denton, TX.
• Makino, Y. E. (2005, 3/17/05). “Recent Trends in U.S. Documentary: the Influence of Autobiography on Non-fiction Film”. invited by the English Department, University of Cyprus. University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
• Makino, Y. E. (2004, August 5). Respondent to documentary NEIGHBOR LADIES. University Film and Video Association conference. Toledo, Ohio.
• Makino, Y. E. (2003, January 14). "Distance Learning in the Media Arts". Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. Honolulu, HI.
• Makino, Y. E. (2003, July 26). Respondent for short film, RACE JUICE. University Film and Video Association Conference. Columbia, South Carolina.
• Makino, Y. E. (2002, August 10, 2002). Respondent for feature film, "Adrift in the Heartland". Formal Screening, University Film and Video Association. Ithaca College.
• Makino, Y. E. (2001, August 2001). The Shaping of ALMA: Struggles and Strategies of a Writer-Director. Situating Gender in Screenwriting, University Film and Video Association Conference. Rochester, New York.

Creative Works

• 111 Degrees Longitude; video; March
• Animal Encounters; digital video; March; Animal Encounters is astudy of animal and human relationships.  The project features wildand captive dolphins filmed in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys,respectively.
• The Koko Project: In Pursuit of a Mind to Mind Connection; HD; March; I'm collaborating with other UA faculty on this documentary about non-human animal self-awareness. Project SummaryKoko, famous for being the first language-trained gorilla, will be the subject of a 30-minute film documenting pioneering research on the capacity of a non-human animal to perform what is thought to be a uniquely human ability: to be fully aware of one’s own emotions, intentions, beliefs and those of others. Koko’s training in the use of sign language, her rich vocabulary, and her comprehension of spoken words and sentences provide a unique opportunity for a team of University of Arizona scientists in primatology, psychiatry and neuroscience. The research team will harness novel experimental techniques to systematically test, for the first time in a language-trained ape, what is called “Theory of Mind”-- the ability to “attribute independent mental states to self and others in order to explain and predict behaviour.” Through video documentation of the research and interviews with the research team (Dr. Dieter and Netzin Steklis, Dr. Richard Lane, along with Dr. Penny Patterson, Koko’s mentor and caregiver of 37 years), filmmaker Yuri Makino will bring to light cutting edge research in animal cognition and the powerful implications of the findings of this experiment.
• The End of Winter; digital video; March; The End of Winter chronicles the final journey my sisters and I took to Japan to see our father before he passed away.
• Gorilla Games: Play Is Paternal Care; digital video; March; This documentary is funded by a Confluence Center grant. The original documentary (with Koko as its subject) had to be changed because Koko has arthritis. I am still working with my original collaborators and now focusing on their existing research with wild gorillas. Project Summary Gorilla Games: Play Is Paternal Care Human play is usually thought of as a childhood pastime, but in many species, like mountain gorillas, social play is essential to their development. The adult silverback males are of particular interest because they are one of the few species who play with and protect their young.  Gorillas live in groups and the mature silverback -- so named for the graying hair on his back – leads, defends and makes decisions for the family. He also plays with the immature gorillas. Play between fathers and offspring may be a foundational mode of behavior in gorilla paternal care and can give us insight into the evolution of human families.   This 20-minute documentary Gorilla Games: Play Is Paternal Care explores the beneficial role of play in wild gorillas, specifically its role in paternal care, and uncovers shared behaviors between gorillas and humans. In what ways may play help build skills, increase fitness, regulate emotions, and promote relationships and sexual reproduction amongst gorillas? Determining the essential qualities of play and their benefits in gorillas is of particular interest in light of the recent discovery that humans and gorillas differ in only 1.75% of their DNA, much less than previously believed (LA Times, March 7, 2012). Is play essential to the development of gorillas and humans alike? What are the implications of the role of play between one of our closest relatives and the evolution of humans?   This documentary focuses on the research of UA faculty members Dr. Dieter and Netzin Steklis, experts on African apes, especially the mountain gorilla. The Steklis’ have 20 years of field observation experience studying the family dynamics of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The film will include interviews with H. Dieter and Netzin Steklis and Dr. Bruce Ellis, head of the fathering initiative in Family Studies at the Norton School. Highlighting Dr. Ellis’ research on the impact of paternal care on adolescent development in humans will enable the audience to consider the potential shared effects of paternal care in human and gorilla families. To draw connections between the ways in which play impacts juvenile growth in gorillas and in humans, Gorilla Games will feature footage of wild gorillas in Africa at play, as well as humans at play. Audiences will learn about the ways in which play imparts critical skills or experiences that are not only life-enhancing, but life-extending as well. While play may seem trivial in our lives, it may define who we are and how we came to be. 
• Pineapple Dreams; video; June; I was invited to participate in the Snakebite Film Festival, which was hosted by Dinnerware and exhibited at The Screening Room. I was given 3 criteria (dolphin, hair stylist and pineapple) by the Dinnerware ArtsSpace manager to make a 5 minute or less film in a few weeks.
• Alma; narrative short film; June; This 14-minute short is based on my feature script of the same name.
• AMERICA'S HEALTH; documentary; My collaborator and I were invited to present our work to UA medical residents in Family and Community Medicine as part of their Round Table Discussions to discuss how to use art to engage participants to think about health.