Added to inquiry!
DOCUMENTARY

Tsunami Disaster: Heartache and Hope Through the Viewfinder – 49 Days of Life and Death –

DOCUMENTARY 2011 30 mins Episode(s): 1 english English
2012 New York Festivals United Nations DPI Bronze Award.

On March 11th, 2011, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 leveled northeastern Japan. Kesennuma City of Miyagi Prefecture was torn apart. The subsequent tsunami and fires that broke out from fuel leakage led to 1,500 people dead or missing from this town.

Shinichi Chiba, a cameraman from Higashi Nippon Broadcasting and a native of Kesennuma, captured incredible footage of the ruthless tsunami as it swallowed up his hometown.  His footage soon made worldwide news.

Though Chiba’s family survived the disaster, his home was washed away without a trace by the tsunami. As a newly homeless cameraman, Chiba bears witness to the struggles of the people in his town as they piece together their broken lives.

This documentary is a dialogue with Chiba as he records the 49 days following the earthquake disaster. Here you will find a compelling story of Chiba’s battle with loss--both his own and the heart-wrenching losses of his fellow townspeople.

Click here to preview the program!

  •  

    Jizo-bon Festival -Choraku Temple of the Valley-
    2018 30 mins

    [Festivals of Japan Season 2] Jizo-bon is a festival that celebrates the Jizo Bosatsu, or "Kshitigarbha," and takes place in the Kinki Region of Japan. The Jizo-bon culture of Choraku Temple in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture, has been passed down from the Edo Period. In the evening, men carrying large...
    more details
  •  

    Shikekinu -Silk weaving from two types of silkworms-
    2015 30 mins

    [Craft Masters of Japan] In the city of Nanto, Toyama Prefecture,  textile production has been an essential part of its history since the Sengoku Period, around the 16th century. Within this city, there is a factory called Matsui Weaving Industry, which specializes in the production of Shikekinu Silk. Shikekinu Silk...
    more details
  •  

    Oni-kenbai: Prayer in Motion
    2012 30 mins

    The Oni-kenbai demon sword dance has been passed down from fathers to sons to grandchildren, with no additions or amendments for generations. Not simply a dance to pray for happiness, it's to ensure the spirits of ancestors of both dancers and viewers are kept alive, while driving away evil. This...
    more details
  •  

    Finding the Strength to Live
    2022

    2023 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival REMI Award (Special Jury Award) Known as the Kobe Serial Child Murders, in 1997 two children in Kyoto were brutally murdered by a 14-year-old boy who used the pseudonym Seito Sakakibara. Still a minor, by law the killer was jailed anonymously to protect his identity....
    more details