HALF-LIFE IN FUKUSHIMA
A film by Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi
2016, 60 minutes
2016, 60 minutes
No. 045
Documentary
Documentary
Description
In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a Japanese farmer ekes out a solitary existence within the radiation red zone. As Naoto wanders through the empty streets of his hometown, he confronts the remnants of a lost society.
Shooting on lustrous film stock, Half-Life in Fukushima reveals the surreal scope and devastation of the nuclear tragedy, and the stubborn signs of life among the ruins: a touching encounter with an ostrich; a round of golf at an abandoned driving range; and a breathtaking eruption of music and emotion on the stage of a karaoke bar.
As Naoto struggles to build a new life within this post-apocalyptic landscape, the documentary offers a stunning vision of a place that resembles nothing less than the set of a science fiction film about a present informed by the decisions of a bygone age.
Shooting on lustrous film stock, Half-Life in Fukushima reveals the surreal scope and devastation of the nuclear tragedy, and the stubborn signs of life among the ruins: a touching encounter with an ostrich; a round of golf at an abandoned driving range; and a breathtaking eruption of music and emotion on the stage of a karaoke bar.
As Naoto struggles to build a new life within this post-apocalyptic landscape, the documentary offers a stunning vision of a place that resembles nothing less than the set of a science fiction film about a present informed by the decisions of a bygone age.
Festivals
* Official Selection, HotDocs Film Festival
* Official Selection, Visions du Reel
* Official Selection, Visions du Reel
Reviews
"This nightmarish portrait of a once-thriving community that has literally been snuffed out carries substantial cumulative power." - Video Librarian
