Join us for a screening of Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators with special guest, film director Ema Ryan Yamazaki, who will take questions from the audience.  The documentary uses animation, archival materials and interviews to tell the incredible story of Hans and Margret Rey, the authors of the beloved children’s book series Curious George. The Reys were longtime residents of Cambridge.

Director’s Statement By Ema Ryan Yamazaki 

The first time I heard an audio recording of the Reys, I was caught off guard to hear their strong German accents. Whoever could have imagined the Curious George authors to have had such a multi-cultural background, and even more that they were once refugees? Having a Japanese mother and an English father, I grew up back and forth between my two home countries. When I was 19, I moved to New York City with a dream to become a filmmaker. Like the Reys, I lived on Washington Square Park, and saw the opportunities that lay ahead in a new land where I felt free to express who I was. I admired the Reys’ ability to overcome being an outsider in all the places they lived in, navigating the right ways to fit in and stick out. The Reys not only survived, but thrived, and ultimately attained the so-called “American dream.”

In all the decisions that were made in putting the film together, I continued to ask myself the same question: how would Hans and Margret tell their own story? After all, they have proven to be two of the best storytellers of modern times. Over 75 years after Curious George’s first publication, Curious George has now become a global icon. Through their beloved monkey, the Reys’ legacy continues to touch the childhoods of millions around the world. The Reys’ outlook on life allowed them to embody the best of humanity, and also see the best in humanity. Even when against some of the darkest forces in recent history, they found a way to call it an adventure. Allowing to be ruled by their curiosity and relying on their own ingenuity, the Reys gave the world the gift of a cute little monkey with the same character traits. Who they were, is why we have George. At a pertinent time to highlight the work of two Americans who were once refugees and immigrants, we must turn to the Reys’ extraordinary story as an example of a triumph in partnership, creativity, and above all, resilience.