Great East Japan Earthquake
Recovery Support Screening Project
“Cinema with Us”
Supported by Association for Corporate Support of the Arts GB Fund
Where We Are and Where We’re Heading
The March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake. A huge tsunami caused by the great earthquake swept away towns in a single blow. It destroyed not only homes but even the bonds of connection that guarantee our existence, our memories, and our recollections. Furthermore, the external power sources that supplied the nuclear cooling systems were taken down by the waves, causing meltdowns and breached containment vessels, the worst kind of nuclear accident. The effects of the accident were not limited to Fukushima but spread through the air and the sea, creating a situation that affects the entire world.
We are now in the midst of an emergency situation. And we’ll probably continue to go on living for a long time under this invisible state of emergency.
Since the earthquake, with the help of many people from all over the country, we’ve been supporting the recovery by organizing film screenings and children’s film workshops at refugee shelters and in the disaster areas. After six months, it seems like things are getting back to normal, but if you peel off the cover, the reality is that people are struggling with all kinds of troubles, suffering, and distress. What can cinema do from this point on? As a start, people from Japan and other countries can gather in this place and make new connections with each other by sharing through cinema the progress that has been made since the earthquake. I would like to take that first step together.
Miyazawa Hiraku