Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Here we go again...

I can hardly believe it myself, but since entering the edit suite 30 days ago after finishing my NHK television documentary "Dying at Home" (INFO), I am already getting ready to complete my next feature documentary (!).  With the amazing help of my assistant, Rei (along with plenty of coffee, chocolate and little sleep), we have met a deadline that at one point, as recently as the New Year, did not seem achievable.  We have just now finished the subtitles and the file for screening is currently compressing.  And just in time- we fly to Europe the day after tomorrow where we are screening it on Saturday.


With the working title of 「せざるを得ない」 ("Seizaruwoenai" or "Unavoidable" in English), the film is my third in my series about families with children living in Fukushima after "In the Grey Zone" (2012 WEBSITE) and "A2-B-C" (2013 WEBSITE).  I am still working on the trailer, final title, website, synopsis information and the plan for releasing the film, but I look forward to sharing more news about the film in the coming months.

While it is still not completely finished, a work-in-progress screening will be held on Saturday (Feb 27) in Berlin at the international congress “5 years living with Fukushima - 30 years living with Chernobyl” sponsored by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (INFO).

Not wanting for the first time for me to see it to be in a room full of delegates at the congress, I have also arranged a small preview screening in Tokyo tomorrow evening (Feb 24 DETAILS).

After attending the congress in Berlin, we will fly to Ireland, where I will be presenting some of my work and giving lectures in Cork on March 1 and 2 (INFO) and then in Dublin on March 3 (INFO).

These screenings will the first in a series of events I will attend that are marking the 5th anniversary of the March 11, 2011, triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.  Thank you all so very much for your support and encouragement over these five years.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

'-1287' awarded Best Doc at 2016 SoCal FF

The past month has seen me editing faster, longer and for more consecutive days than I have for a while.  Editing is different from directing, and this time in the edit suite has reminded me how much I love editing.  While there have been some sacrifices, like having the time to correspond in a timely manner--- my apologies, I will reply to you all soon!  ;) --- I am looking forward to sharing more about what I am working on in the coming days.

In the meantime, I woke up this morning to the humbling news that my feature documentary '-1287' (WEBSITE) was awarded Best Documentary in the 2016 SoCal Film Festival (festival notice here).


Friday, February 05, 2016

MC FCCJ IPPNW FK5/ CH30

It was my honor to serve as the MC for yesterday's  press conference "The Risk of Low Dose Radiation" given by Angelika Claussen, Medical Doctor & European vice-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).  Held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ press release HERE), Dr. Claussen presented her research about the Ukraine, Belarus and Eastern Europe following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, as well as her work pertaining to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.  Dr. Claussen's trip to Japan was arranged ahead of the IPPNW's upcoming publication "5 years living with Fukushima - 30 years living with Chernobyl".  

The full video of the press conference can be found HERE and below.