Ups and Downs and Up Again

As the one year anniversary of March 11 approaches, I return to this blog to reflect on how I am processing this past year.

I have come to realize that filming and editing for me is a way to try to understand what is happening around me. Focusing the camera on what is before me and the subsequent ordering of that experience through editing somehow allows me to process things that may be too difficult to do otherwise. Strangely, I seem to mainly film things that are particularly difficult for me and not things that are fun. For example, I have been filming a good friend who is in the hospital dying of cancer, but I rarely take any footage when I am, say, on vacation. I seem to feel protected by having the camera between me and whatever is happening; and yet, if I have the camera on, I can't seem to fully engage or relax.

Writing for me seems to be somewhat of the opposite. When I am pretty clear about what is going on around me, I write more (in this blog, for example). And when things are stagnant or stuck or worse, writing becomes less and less appealing.

Looking back on all I have filmed and written in this past year, I have realized:

• If I am filming, chances are things are difficult for me, but I am trying to understand them.
• If I am not filming, chances are things are just going along.
• If I am writing, I am actively working towards a goal (and probably working on a film).
• If I am not writing, I am probably in some kind of rut.

Since finishing the edit of my documentary film "In the Grey Zone" (trailer can be seen here) three months ago, I have been working on the "business side" of filmmaking; film festival submissions and arranging the website, posters and press materials:

I have also been working on a new website (created by Katsuyoshi Ueno) that will eventually have information for all of my films together in one place.

What I hadn't been doing over these last three months was much writing or filming.

That is until this week.

I have just returned from a trip to the city of Minamisoma near the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Nearly a year after I documented the children returning to school in the radiation zone, I filmed an update on how the children, parents and teachers are doing now. I am editing that now and hope to have it ready to upload by the end of the week.

A time for reflection.

Christmas and New Year are coming soon. Today as I was thinking of loved ones far away, I remembered March 11 was 9 months ago today.

Today marks eight months since March 11.

How much is recovered?

How much is left to be done?

How many questions are still left unanswered?

Extra-curricular Viewing

First, this 5-minute PBS report from August 16th (via @44de256):

Five months after the deadly tsunami and Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Japanese authorities have acknowledged that they misled residents about the radioactive dangers. John Sparks of Independent Television News gets an inside look at the area and reports on how citizens are dealing with the ongoing risks.

Second, this 3-minute clip of Germany's 'Today' show which is an attempt to deal with the idiocy and bureaucracy of the handling of the nuclear meltdown through humour. Be sure to click the "CC" button for English subtitles (via @Shogannai):

3.11 Films

We each have our own way of trying to work out our thoughts and feelings about things that are not easily understood.

Seven months after the triple disasters of March 11, the first films about it are starting to appear.

One such film, "311", premiered recently at the 16th Busan International Film festival in Korea. The documentary was shot by four director friends shortly after March 11.

Survivors often act with a mixture of horror and fury when they see the cameras capturing their grief and Mori said the team was constantly forced to question just what they were doing -- documenting or intruding.

This year's Tokyo International Film Festival (currently taking place) features 3 films about the events of March 11 in a special category, "Overcoming the Disaster".

"Overcoming the Disaster" showcases three films related to March 11, and any money raised from the category goes toward TIFF's "Arigato Project" fundraiser for Tohoku. But the support goes deeper than just financial aid. TIFF is using the festival's unique program to acknowledge support from the international film festival community, and provide a bit of hope in stressing how far Tohoku has recovered since the slew of catastrophes.

In an interesting project organized by the Sendai Short Film Festival 2011, sixty directors have created short films 3 minutes and 11 seconds in length that will be programmed together. One section of this project aired last night on satellite television here in Japan.

The films will be three minutes and 11 seconds in length to symbolize March 11, when the disaster struck northeastern and eastern Japan... The directors were asked to make movies on the theme of "tomorrow" to inspire hope for the reconstruction of the devastated region.

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(added October 27th via @japantimes)

The documentary "Mujo Sobyo" recently held its North American premier in New York.

Shot 50 days after the earthquake on the coast of Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, the film captures the ravaged landscape and the voices of survivors calmly recounting their memories of the twin disasters. But the film purposely does not reveal the exact location or the names of the people and their backgrounds.

Discovery News: guest blog #8

I am honoured to receive continuing encouragement from Discovery News with the publication today of my 8th guest blog.

In case you missed any of the previous ones, there are links to them at the bottom of the blog on the Discovery website.

Thank you all for your continued interest and support during these seven months!

A breath of fresh (radiation-free) air

I came across this video (via @silverstar22b) and it put a smile on my face and allowed me to escape to a different world for its five-minute duration.

Beautifully shot. Great music. An amazing protagonist.

Must-see.