Using extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
As global tensions rise, the unthinkable threat of nuclear war has become very real - and very frightening. Through the powerful recollections of the survivors of the atomic bombs that leveled two Japanese cities in 1945, this film presents a deeply moving look at the painful legacy of the first - and hopefully last - uses of nuclear weapons in war. Directed by Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki (1990's 'Days of Waiting'), 'White Light, Black Rain' provides a comprehensive, moving account of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the unique points of view of the people, both Japanese and American, who were there.—Anonymous
As global tensions rise, the unthinkable now seems possible. The threat ofnuclear weapons of mass destruction has become frighteningly real. WHITELIGHT/BLACK RAIN: THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI,by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki, looks at the reality ofnuclear warfare with first-hand accounts from those who survived and whoselives were forever changed by the atomic bomb.
Even after 60 years, those bombings continue to inspire argument, denial andmyth. Surprisingly, most people know nothing or very little about what happenedon August 6 and 9, 1945, two days that changed the world. This is acomprehensive, straightforward, moving account of the bombings of Hiroshimaand Nagasaki from the point of view of the people who were there.
Featuring interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors, many of whom havenever spoken publicly before, and four Americans intimately involved in thebombings, WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN provides a detailed exploration of thebombings and their aftermath. In a succession of riveting personal accounts, thefilm reveals both unimaginable suffering and extraordinary human resilience.Survivors (85% of victims were civilians) not vaporized during the attacks(140,000 died in Hiroshima, 70,000 in Nagasaki) continued to suffer from burns,infection, radiation sickness and cancer (another 160,000 deaths). As SakueShimohira, ten years old at the time, says of the moment she considered killingherself after losing the last member of her family: I realized there are two kindsof courage the courage to die and the courage to live.
Other survivors include: Kiyoko Imori, just blocks from the hypocenter, she is theonly survivor of an elementary school of 620 students. Keiji Nakazawa, who losthis father, brother and two sisters, then devoted his life to re-telling his story incomic books and animation. Shuntaro Hida, a young military doctor at the time,began treating survivors immediately after the explosion and, 60 years later,continues to provide care for them. Etsuko Nagano still cant forgive herself forconvincing her family to come to Nagasaki, just weeks before the bombing.With a calm frankness that makes their stories unforgettable, the survivors bearwitness to the unfathomable destructive power of nuclear weapons. Theiraccounts are illustrated with survivor paintings and drawings, historical footageand photographs, including rare or never before seen material.
Steven Okazaki met more than 500 survivors and interviewed more than 100before choosing the 14 people in the film. He says, Their stories are amazing,shocking, and inspiring.
WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN, an HBO Documentary Film, details the humancosts of atomic warfare and stands as a powerful warning that with enoughpresent-day nuclear weapons worldwide to equal 400,000 Hiroshimas, we cannotafford to forget what happened on those two days in 1945.
