This is not a political film with the purpose to criticize the establishment for its misconduct. It is now only a given that critical information were withheld from the public for maximizing political and economic interests. This movie does not delve into unveiling these in detail. Instead, it digs deep into the psyche of the people in the affected region and reveals the true nature of their suffering; how they're surviving the aftermath of a natural and man-made disaster of catastrophic proportions.
For the affected people, nothing IS over. Their suffering is still an ongoing fact and little has been resolved or redeemed. They are all struggling to live strong, but with destruction of communities and dysfunctional support from local and central government, they cannot continue to stand strong alone. Director Noland portrays these sufferings by showing his own experiences as one of the affected people and an active volunteer aid worker. His journey to making this film began with a series of questions that still remain fully unanswered. One of the most revealing fact of his journey was that their suffering has not ended despite his own efforts, despite the communal, local, national, and international efforts. Their sufferings are that enormous, and deep. And this is masterfully reflected in Yoko Ono's special song "Kurushii" ('95) used in this film.
For any Japanese, a film created from an experience of a foreigner who has helped the Japanese people with such dedication has a powerful message. For any national of a civilized nation, the messages of the common affected people will have strong impact in reflecting what one's community, local governments and central government can do in critical situations that involve vested interests. It is easy to imagine that if it was not for the nuclear power interests, the level of suffering experienced by the affected people would have been drastically different.
For the affected people, nothing IS over. Their suffering is still an ongoing fact and little has been resolved or redeemed. They are all struggling to live strong, but with destruction of communities and dysfunctional support from local and central government, they cannot continue to stand strong alone. Director Noland portrays these sufferings by showing his own experiences as one of the affected people and an active volunteer aid worker. His journey to making this film began with a series of questions that still remain fully unanswered. One of the most revealing fact of his journey was that their suffering has not ended despite his own efforts, despite the communal, local, national, and international efforts. Their sufferings are that enormous, and deep. And this is masterfully reflected in Yoko Ono's special song "Kurushii" ('95) used in this film.
For any Japanese, a film created from an experience of a foreigner who has helped the Japanese people with such dedication has a powerful message. For any national of a civilized nation, the messages of the common affected people will have strong impact in reflecting what one's community, local governments and central government can do in critical situations that involve vested interests. It is easy to imagine that if it was not for the nuclear power interests, the level of suffering experienced by the affected people would have been drastically different.