Hiroshima (1953) film screening

Based on Children of the Atom Bomb, a book of testimonies by children who experienced the bombing of Hiroshima, Hideo Sekigawa‘s harrowing drama details the destruction and suffering left in the wake of the A-bomb for a group of students, teachers and their families. A direct indictment against nuclear war and the mistreatment of Hiroshima’s stigmatized survivors, this independently produced and distributed film was funded by the Japan Teachers Union in an effort to “preserve peace” and utilized tens of thousands of Hiroshima citizens as extras, including many survivors. Recently rediscovered after decades of obscurity, Hiroshima is a major work of anti-war cinema and a chilling reminder of the consequences of nuclear warfare. 1953, 104 min., Blu-ray, b&w, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Hideo Sekigawa. With Eiji Okada, Yumeji Tsukioka, Takashi Kanda, Isuzu Yamada.