Chaplaincy and Division of Languages and Literature Present

The Son of Fukushima (2021, 55 minutes)

Friday, April 15, Campus Center, Weis Cinema, 4:00-6:30 pm. Film screening and panel discussion with filmmaker. Q&A to follow.

Participants:
- Beth Balawick, director of The Son of Fukushima
- William Kando Johnston, John E. Andrus Professor of History, Japanese department, Wesleyan University, researching epidemics, wars and disasters in Japanese history
- Megumi Takahashi, sophomore at Bard (political science major and flute performance at the conservatory), originally from Kamaishi, Iwate, which was destroyed by the tsunami. Her father was one of the first volunteer doctors at the site.
Moderated by Tatjana Myoko v. Prittwitz (Buddhist chaplain) & Hongmin Ahn (chaplaincy intern)

Son of Fukushima (2021) combines live-action documentary and animation to tell the story of a rural family profoundly impacted by two nuclear tragedies: Hiroshima and Fukushima. Against the backdrop of the world’s largest radiological clean-up, the Ouchi family grapples with the inevitabilities of aging, the sacrifices made for those we love, and the relationship between man and nature. 

Beth Balawick is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and multimedia producer. She has worked as a producer and cinematographer on feature documentaries including Beyond Belief (2007), The List (2012), The Peacemaker (2016), Second Chance Kids (2017) and Dawnland (2018). Son of Fukushima (2021) is her directorial debut.

William Kando Johnston is the John E. Andrus Professor of History at Wesleyan University. His research focuses on epidemics, wars and disasters in Japanese history. He is working on a book examining the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the disaster of 3/11 is of particular interest to him. Prof. Johnston is also an ordained monk in the Soto Zen lineage.

Light refreshments will be served.

Sponsored by the Bard chaplaincy, the Buddhist sangha club, Japanese studies, and Asian studies. (As of 04/11)

---

For more information, call 845-752-4619, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Bertelsmann Campus Center, Weis Cinema

Subscribe: Save this Event: Subscribe / .ics File