'Searchlight Serenade' (the animation) is a tale told in song, based on original woodcuts and drawings by Amy Uyeki. The animation follows young detainees in the Japanese American incarceration camps during WWII. These teenagers and young adults escaped from the drudgery, the humiliation of being imprisoned, and the harsh physical conditions by playing and dancing to music, big band and swing music of the Harry James, Glenn Miller variety. In total, 20 bands formed in the 17 temporary camps and 10 permanent detention centers. The animation is based on the real-life stories of the former musicians and singers of the camps, and also appears interwoven with interviews of the musicians and singers in the full length (57 minutes) documentary of the same title.—Anonymous