Cinema Typhoon シネマ・タイフーン

I am extremely honoured to have been asked to take part in the 2013 Cinema Typhoon event at Tokyo Keizai University, July 13-14, 2013.  Three documentary films will be screened during the weekend-long event which will culminate in a panel discussion with the filmmakers led by Nicola Liscutin, from the University of Tokyo.  The three films all deal with some aspect of the Fukushima disaster, and the panel discussion will attempt to cover the following questions:

What are the motivations of the filmmakers?  In which ways might these films participate in the production of a public ‘Fukushima’ memory? How can they stem forgetting, when ‘disaster fatigue’ has already set in? Do these films affect, or seek to influence, anti-nuclear thinking and movements nationally and internationally?

My documentary, "A2", will be screened alongside Funahashi Atushi’s “Nuclear Nation” and Fujiwara Toshi’s “No Man’s Zone”, and it will be an honour to meet the directors of these films and to speak with them on the panel.

More information in English can be found on the Cultural Typhoon website HERE.

カルチュラル・タイフーン会期中の恒例である映画上映会「シネマ・タイフーン」、今回は＜記憶＞と＜表象＞をテーマとして、３本の映画を上映します。

『フタバから遠く離れて』、『無人地帯』、『Ａ２』・・・（日本語WEBSITE)

Mirror, Mirror

While in Fukushima this week, I have been visiting the parents, children and public figures who appear in my documentary, 'A2'.  I wanted to thank them for trusting me with their personal stories, and to share with them the news of our World Premier (HERE) and the feedback from the audience in Germany.

Mr. and Mrs. Shibuya had not yet seen 'A2', and so I brought the film with me when I visited their home.  When I met the Shibuya's last autumn, they shared with me the results of their children's thyroid examination results:  both their son, Ayumu, 12, and daughter, Mutsuki, 9, were found to have class A2 thyroid cysts (I wrote about meeting the Shibuya family last autumn HERE and HERE).

Mr. and Mrs. Shibuya watch a scene from 'A2' in which their children appear.

In my past experience with showing my films to the participants who are portrayed in them,  people understandably have tended to be really concerned about how they themselves appear in the film.  But with 'A2' it has been different: all the parents in the film are more interested in learning about the experiences of the other people in the film, people that are in similar situations as they are in but whom they have never met.  And perhaps more interestingly, the parents in 'A2' never seem to comment on how they themselves are depicted in the film.

When I met with Mr. Oouchi, a Fukushima City Councilman who appears in 'A2', I shared with him the news about the film and about what some of our future plans are (I wrote about interviewing Councilman Oouchi last autumn HERE).  I then asked the Councilman how he would like to use the rest of the time that had been allotted for our short meeting.  Would he like to see his own interview, I asked?

"I know what I said," the Councilman quickly replied, laughing.  "I want to know what the audience in Germany thought about the film."

I shared with Councilman Oouchi the video messages from the audience members in Frankfurt (video HERE).  All the way through, he kept nodding his head.

At the end of our meeting, Councilman Oouchi shared with me that he and his wife are expecting their third child.

Councilman Oouchi watches video messages from the audience in Frankfurt who saw 'A2'.

From Frankfurt to Fukushima フランクフルトより福島へ

During the Q and A following the World Premier of my documentary 'A2' (WEBSITE) at the 2013 Nippon Connection Film Festival, a member of the audience in Frankfurt asked if it was possible to contact the Fukushima mothers who in appear in the film so that she could share with them her thoughts and feelings about the film.

Later, in the lobby of the cinema, I filmed video messages from audience members who had just seen 'A2'.  They addressed the Fukushima families who appear in the film directly; their feelings were raw, and their words were real (VIDEO):

This week, I am in Fukushima, updating the families about the screening in Germany, the award with which 'A2' was honoured (STORY), and about the upcoming screenings and plans for the film.  I also brought them the video messages from Frankfurt.

The mothers, tears in their eyes, watched the messages intently and seemed to be holding on to each and every word being addressed to them from so far away.  I watched them, watching the video and found myself in awe:  something so much bigger than any single one of us would be able to accomplish on our own was unfolding right before us.

And the award goes to...

Each year, Nippon Connection gives out one award in each of three competition categories, and my documentary, 'A2' (WEBSITE), was nominated for the Nippon Visions Award (DETAILS).

NIPPON VISIONS AWARD
The NIPPON VISIONS AWARD will be handed out for the fourth time by an international expert jury. 12 feature films by new-coming Japan-based directors from the NIPPON VISIONS and the NIPPON ANIMATION sections will participate in the competition.

JuryKeiko ARAKI – director of PIA Film Festival, Tokio / Tokyo
Tetsuaki MATSUE - director, winner of NIPPON VISIONS AWARD 2010
Ken OKUBO – film critic, curator and professor at Tama Art University, Tokio / Tokyo

ニッポン・ビジョン賞
今年第4回目を迎える「ニッポン・ビジョン賞」は、国際的審査員により決定されます。「ニッポン・ビジョン」部門および「ニッポン・アニメーショ ン」部門の若手監督による12本の長編作品がノミネートされています。

審査員
荒木啓子　-　ぴあフィルムフェスティバル　ディレクター、東京
松江哲明　-　ニッポン・ビジョン賞2010年の受賞者
大久保賢一　-　映画評論家、キュレータ、多摩美術大学教授、東京

私のドキュメンタリー映画「A2」がニッポン・ビジョン・アワードに選ばれました。非常に光栄です！

I am so honoured (and shocked!) to be the recipient of the 2013 Nippon Vision Award for 'A2' (official notice HERE)!

When the jury read out their statement and said, "The award goes to 'A2' by director Ian Thomas Ash", I just couldn't believe it and kept shaking my head in disbelief.  I guess I was just so surprised (in a good way!) since this honour is usually given to a Japanese filmmaker.

I am so thankful for this recognition and know that this award will be instrumental in helping to get 'A2' out to a larger audience, both domestically within Japan and abroad.

Unfortunately, the recent news of more children in Fukushima being found to have thyroid cancer makes this topic ever more relevant (news story HERE).

Thank you all so much for your support, kind words, advice and encouragement.

With humble gratitude and peace,

Ian Thomas Ash
Frankfurt, Germany

PHOTO: Nippon Connection Film Festival © 2013

Filming the Filmmaker

Usually, I am behind the camera, but this week I have found myself being the one in the front of it.

Already I have been interviewed by one newspaper, two radio stations and for a documentary about Nippon Connection Film Festival itself.

I had the additional honour of being asked to speak on a panel about post-Fukushima films (INFO) that also featured Kiki Sugino, the lead actress and producer of the feature film Odayaka (WEBSITE) and Keiko Araki, director of the PIA Film Festival (WEBSITE) and one of the judges for the Nippon Visions Award for which my film 'A2' has been nominated (INFO).

Being interviewed for a documentary about Nippon Connection.

Speaking on the panel with Kiki Sugino (3rd from right) and Keiko Araki (far right).

Playing to a packed house

The World Premier of 'A2' (WEBSITE) took place last night in a full cinema in Frankfurt.  I was nervous, really nervous (one of my friends said I was "crawling the walls" before the screening), but it couldn't have gone more smoothly.

The theatre was packed, the audience was responsive, and the film looked and sounded great (it was the first time for me to see 'A2' on a big screen!).

People had come from all over to see the film (people from other parts of Germany, someone from Geneva and even someone from Italy!).  Several of the physicians from the Frankfurt chapter of IPPNW (LINK to my blog about IPPNW) also attended the screening.

During the post-screening Q and A, some of the people who watched 'A2' asked if they could send a video message to the families who appear in the documentary.  Later, in the lobby, I filmed their heart-filled messages of shock, solidarity and of taking action.

It was a huge honour to share the story of the children of Fukushima with the audience in Frankfurt, and I am so grateful to Nippon Connection (WEBSITE) for giving us this opportunity.  I know this will be a very important step to sharing the 'A2' with a larger audience.

'A2' in the official Nippon Connection catalog

'A2' screens to a packed house

Post-screening Q and A

Filming audience members' messages to the families who appear in 'A2'

Connecting with an audience

I am in Frankfurt, Germany for the World Premier of my documentary 'A2' at the Nippon Connection Film Festival.

Nippon Connection, which is in its 13th year, is the biggest festival of Japanese films held outside of Japan, and this is the second Japanese film festival in which one of my films has been screened, after 'In the Grey Zone' was screened in Camera Japan (Holland) last year.

This time 'A2' is in competition and has been nominated for the "Nippon Visions Award", and all of the other filmmakers, along with the judges, are Japanese.

This year Nippon Connection has moved to two new venues, and they are AMAZING!  One is a converted warehouse, and itself is a work of art (not withstanding the amazing films, events and installations taking place within).

The screenings at Nippon Connection are full and the audiences are really excited to be watching these Japanese films.  The program of films has been beautifully curated, and it is an honour to be screened here.

"A2" will screen on Friday at 20:15 in the Naxoshalle Kino.

Screenings at Nippon Connection are full with excited moviegoers!

Enjoying conversation and drinks (like Japanese beer and sake!) before a screening.

PERFECT COMBINATION. Inside this converted warehouse: awesome films. Outside: a beer garden.

'Ian's Kitchen' closes

For the last two years, I have been hosting a show on cable television.  In Season 1 (July 2011- March 2012), the show was called 'I'm Home, This is Ian' (loosely translated), and was an interview-based documentary program (more about that HERE).  For Season 2 (April 2012-May 2013) the producers changed the format of the show into a cooking show (!) called 'Ian's Kitchen' (that story is HERE).  

The documentary-style cooking show was extremely fun, and the cooking segments were peppered with interviews with the farmers that grew the ingredients for the dishes.  (One memorable episode is from last autumn about which I wrote in an entry called "In the Pumpkin Patch", part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE).

For Season 3, there had been talk of me getting a small plot of land and working with local farmers to grow the food that we would use on the program.  Unfortunately, however, I was informed last month by the producers that our contract was not being renewed for a third season.  It seems amid the down economy and budget cuts, the TV station had decided that funding local programming was too expensive and that they would start "buying in" more ready-made programs.

The last episode of 'Ian's Kitchen' has now been filmed and will air shortly.

But as they say, "when one door closes, another one opens" and I am looking forward to seeing what new adventure is just around the corner.  

I will close this chapter with some photos from a few of my favourite moments on 'Ian's Kitchen'.  In January of this year, I filmed two episodes on which my dad appeared as a special guest.  He brought with him a cookbook complied by my sister that contains recipes our family has enjoyed dating back to the time of our great-grandmother.  My dad also brought with him some photos of me cooking when I was so little I had to stand on a stool at the stove (!).

Working Vacation

I do lots of odd jobs in order to "pay for my habit" of documentary filmmaking.  I've made promotional videos, filmed backstage documentaries for DVDs of live music concerts and have even been known to step in front of the camera from time to time.

For the last three days, I have been so grateful to have been on one those rare jobs that feels more like a vacation than work.

Here for work, but the view and the fresh air are a much appreciated bonus!
仕事なんだけど、キレイな景色と、美味しい空気を吸えて、ラッキー!

My new friend!

My new edit suite... I wish!
僕の編集室・・・なんちゃって！

Morning Coffee.

Good night, sun!
お日さま、おやすみ！

Bring in the Clowns

In the more than two years since the nuclear meltdown, nearly all of my focus has been on documenting what is happening in Fukushima; and although I was aware of the weekly anti-nuclear demonstrations being held in Tokyo, I had never documented one.

Yesterday, I photographed the anti-nuclear rally held in Tokyo.

Actor Yamamoto Taro gives a speech

Banner reads: "Protect children from radiation"

A shopper watches as the anti-nuclear demonstration passes by

 

Headline from the AP News: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/japan-court-rejects-demand-evacuate-children

There was a strong police presence at the rally.

 

 

And this is my favourite photograph from yesterday:

Freshly Pressed

The preview screening and press conference of my feature documentary 'A2' (WEBSITE) was held today at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Japan (press release HERE).

There were a total of 88 press club members and their guests in attendance.  It was an immense honour to have my work screened by my colleagues, and an additional honour to have the opportunity to receive their questions during the press conference that was led by journalist Tetsuo Jimbo.

Photo: Chiemi Takahashi

One of the highlights of the press conference was when Mr. Mitsuhei Murata (pictured below), the former Japanese Ambassador to Switzerland, stood up to speak.  Last year I had the honour of hearing Mr. Murata give a press conference, and I have followed closely his work in trying to bring about transparency following the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima.  Mr. Murata complimented my film and then asked an interesting question:  Given the continued precariousness of the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima, do you think the government should be bidding to hold the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo?

Photo: Chiemi Takahashi

After the press conference, there was time to exchange business cards and speak freely with those in attendance.  There was talk of featuring my work in news articles, speaking at a local university and even of bringing the film (and me!) to Switzerland as part of an educational program.

I am so humbled and honoured at the interest in my work and am thankful for all of the support and encouragement I have received over the past two years.  Peace.

Pressing Issue

Ahead of the World Premier at the Nippon Connection Film Festival (WEBSITE) in Germany in June, there will be a preview screening and press conference for my documentary 'A2' (WEBSITE) on May 13 at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

I am extremely honoured to have my worked viewed by members of the press and wonder what kinds of questions they will ask during the press conference.  I am very excited, and truth be told, a little nervous.

Details about the screening can be found on the FCCJ website (HERE).

Judgement Day

The judgement on the Fukushima Collective Evacuation Trial was handed down today.

The case involved school children in Fukushima who were demanding their right to an education in an environment free from radiation.

My documentary 'A2' was submitted as evidence in the case, and I wrote about that HERE. AP reporter Yuri Kageyama wrote a very informative article about the case as the parties involved were awaiting the ruling (article is HERE).

I attended an emergency press conference this evening held by Yanagihara Toshio, the lawyer for the school children.

In a difficult to understand and seemingly contradictory statement, the court ruled AGAINST the children, even while ADMITTING that the children were being exposed to levels of radiation above the government total annual threshold of 1 millisievert.

In its ruling, the court stated that even if the children stopped attending their contaminated schools, they would theoretically still be living in their contaminated homes in the contaminated city.  The court calculated that even without the radiation the children would be exposed to at school, their total annual radiation exposure would still be above 1 millisievert.  Therefore, since their total annual radiation exposure would be above the 1 millisievert threshold even without the radiation exposure at school, the local government can not be held responsible.

In layman's terms: the kids may be in danger, but the local government and schools can't be held accountable.

Mr. Yanagihara, the childen's lawyer, is not giving up.

**************************** April 25th, 2013 UPDATE ***********************

An article has just been published about the court ruling by AP reporter Yuri Kageyama (HERE).

Markets and competitions and screenings, oh my!

My documentary 'In the Grey Zone' (89 minutes, Japan, 2012), about the children living in Fukushima one-month after the nuclear meltdown (WEBSITE), was still screening in film festivals when I began filming the follow-up 'A2' (70 minutes, Japan, 2013).  Website HERE and TRAILER below:

'In the Grey Zone' was asking the question "Are these children in danger?", and the follow-up 'A2' begins to try to answer that question.  While I always knew that documenting the story of the children in Fukushima was going to be ongoing, I never would have imagined that I would be getting ready to release a new documentary less than a year after the World Premier of 'In the Grey Zone'.

Between 'In the Grey Zone' and 'A2', I had actually completed a totally unrelated feature documentary called 'minus1287' (WEBSITE and TRAILER HERE) which I planned to release this year; but when I  realized 'A2' was pushing for an "early birth", I decided to put 'minus1287' on hold until next year (I now plan to release that film in spring 2014).

Although we have literally just completed 'A2', the early response (based on several versions of "rough cuts" that I have been sending out to festivals since last December) has been overwhelming.

*  'A2' will be included in the international film market at the Visions du Reel Documentary Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland later this month (listing HERE).

*  The World Premier will be in competition at the 2013 Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt, Germany in June (WEBSITE).

*  'A2' has been honoured with an invitation to screen in the non-competitive 2013 Global Peace Film Festival in Orlando, Florida in September (WEBSITE).

*  And just yesterday, 'A2' was granted an early invitation to particiapte in an international competitive film festival in Asia in autumn 2013 (details of this screening are under embargo until the official announcement has been made by the festival).

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement of my work and your continued concern for the children of Fukushima.

Covering the Coverage of Uncovering the Truth

 A few weeks ago, I wrote about my documentary "A2" being submitted as evidence in a lawsuit that a group of Fukushima children have brought against the local government demanding their right to study in a safe environment.

An article about the case and the impending decision written by the Associated Press's Yuri Kageyama was published yesterday and can be found HERE.

Since my film was used as evidence in the case, Yuri asked for my comments for her article.  Unfortunately, my quotes were eventually cut from the article before it was published, but Yuri graciously both Tweeted and posted my comments on Facebook (below):

"A2", by Ian Thomas Ash, was submitted as evidence in this lawsuit. Some great comments he gave me were edited out and so here goes on Facebook:

_  "If this same disaster happened in the West, with the same level of corporate mismanagement and government cover-up, I think there would be riots in the streets."

_  "The government response has been too little too late. It has been proved time and time again that the government has withheld vital information, and yet they still ask that the people believe what they are saying. How can people who have been effectively lied to be expected to believe those who have lied to them?"

_  "So many government officials are only looking out for their own jobs. Very few officials have had the courage to stand up and say that what is happening is wrong."

_   "No one can really say for certain if the children living in Fukushima are in danger or not." 

_  "I think that by just bringing this lawsuit, the students in Koriyama have already won. Of course it would be great if the judges rule in favour of the students. But even if they don't, the students have been successful in raising awareness and starting a debate about the conditions in which the children in Fukushima are living. Either way, the students have won."

THANK YOU, IAN, FOR THE FILM, YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR CARING ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF MY NATION.

 (Yuri Kageyama can be found on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/yurikageyama)

The "Snake's Pillows" of Fukushima

Before I left the evacuated village of Iitate for the last time during this trip to Fukushima, Mr. Watanabe, a former resident of Iitate, guided me to a place in the woods where the "mizu-basho" (nicknamed "Snake's Pillow" in English) were starting to flower in the marsh.

"I wish they would colour the radiation so we could see where it is and avoid it," is something I have heard countless times while speaking with people in Fukushima.

The natural beauty of Fukushima, like here in the mountains of Iitate, is deceptive.  The "Snake's Pillows" are gorgeous, but they hide an invisible venom.

Indoor Cats

Mrs. Takano's son, Ayato, was born in January 2011, two months before the nuclear meltdown.  The Takano family is from the evacuated village of Iitate in Fukushima, and are now living in temporary accommodation nearby.

While most mothers keep a baby book, Mrs. Takano has a folder in which she files the results of the government health checks and radiation monitoring for her son.

Months after the nuclear meltdown, families in Fukushima were required to fill out extensive paperwork by recalling where they had traveled to, how many hours they had been outside, and what foods they had consumed in the weeks and months after March 11.  Although it is impossible to know the true figures since no one had personal radiation monitoring devices with them at the time,  the government used this information to estimate what each person's likely level of radiation exposure had been.  

According to the official government calculation, in the four-month period following the nuclear meltdown alone, it was estimated that Ayato, now two-years-old, had been exposed to 5.4 millisieverts of radiation, more than five times the government's pre-disaster limit of 1 millisievert per year.

Ayato's friend Itsuki, who just turned three, came over to play.  The boys ran, threw balls and even rode little 3-wheel bikes inside, things we would never have been allowed to do in the house growing up.

But Mrs. Takano does not allow Ayato to play outside.  She has never allowed him to play outside.  Having been born just before the nuclear accident, Ayato is part of a generation of children in Fukushima that will grow up not ever knowing what it is like to play outside freely.

Only once has Ayato known what it is like to run outdoors, touch dirt and play in the water freely.  It was on a recent visit to the Japanese island of Okinawa.  The trip was organized by a non-profit group that arranges for children from Fukushima to visit far away places for respite.

Ayato showed me a picture from his trip.

Mrs. Takano said that when Ayato came back from Okinawa, she had a difficult time making him understand that he couldn't go outside to play in the dirt and in the water as he had done in Okinawa.

When I left, the boys walked me to the front door.  As I turned around to say goodbye, Itsuki, Ayato's friend, was slyly dipping his foot into his shoe.  He looked like he was planning an escape, about to make a run for the big outdoors, just like an indoor cat.