In the midst of what can only be described as a challenging few weeks, my ability to endure some very stressful situations has been tested. Forgetting an important appointment and misplacing the keys that I eventually found in my thrice-checked pocket (but not before missing my train) were sure signs I was reaching my limit.
But when I could not find my camera while I was packing the night before an important interview in Fukushima two weeks ago, I knew my threshold for being overloaded was about to be crossed. Sinking to my knees, I knew that my camera had not been stolen but that I had left it somewhere... although I could not even remember the last time I had seen it, let alone where I might have left it.
Using my diary to reconstruct where I had been over the previous two weeks, I realized that I must have left it on the train ten days earlier. Not only had I lost my camera, but it had taken me ten days to realize it (!). The end to a much longer story is that with the help of a friend and through a series of phone calls, I learned that my camera been found and turned in to Japan Rail (JR). Yes, one of the many reasons I love Japan!
But there was one hitch: after the camera remained unclaimed for a week, it had been turned over to the police. I had left the camera on the train on the way back from my last trip to Fukushima where I had recorded a very sensitive interview, and I prayed that the registration of a lost camera did not include viewing the contents of the SD card! At the police station, I was able to identify the serial number on the camera and after filling out several forms and showing my ID, the camera was back safely in my hands. I am guessing they had not watched the footage...
Camera back in hand, I have refocused and am seeing a clear way forward. Although 'A2-B-C' still can not be shown in Japan after the cancellation of all screenings of the film last month (INFO), I continue to search for a solution that will allow screenings to resume. In the meantime, screenings abroad continue freely, and I am currently at the airport in Tokyo on my way to the US where 'A2-B-C' will screen at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Thursday (INFO). I will also be visiting four classes to speak on topics such as civic advocacy, political engagement and the shifting media landscape.
Screenings of '-1287' will continue around the world with a visit to Taiwan in May and Germany in June (INFO)! Thank you all so very much for your support!
Peace,
Ian
Tokyo, Japan
Peace,
Ian
Tokyo, Japan
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