Cries from Nagasaki

"Cries from the Maelstrom" is a short experimental video inspired by accounts collected after the first atomic bombings. Its amazing young narrator recently appeared in "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "12 and Holding." Shot on no-budget using a cheap piece of blue screen material, a Sony PD150, rubble from a Donald Trump demolition site, and a trampoline, edited in Final Cut, the movie catches children playing on the eve of destruction and then scrambling to find a way home over a macabre landscape during the Nagasaki holocaust. It was developed with children using Barton's Groundswell Video Theater Improv process.
Original music by Reza Jacobs.
Official selection: LA International Film Festival, Sedona Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Hollywood DV/HD Festival.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Children
• atomic
• bomb
• survivors
• Peace
• Hiroshima
• Nagasaki

[brewangels]

I created 'Cries' not to make anyone feel guilty, not to promote pacifism - I'm no pacifist - not to make us look backward, but to make real the terrible costs of any future wars, so we think long and hard before embarking on another. .What struck me in accounts from Nagasaki: people had no interest in blaming America. Their concern: how did I behave toward my neighbors? Did I care only about myself, or courageously reach out, help others? THAT's the lesson we can benefit from today.

[brewangels]

DIRECTOR'S COMMENT 2:

What touched me originally in the accounts from Nagasaki? No blaming. No bitterness.

Most victims simply worried: "How did I react? Was I just out for myself, or did I truly help my fellow citizens?"

To me, that's vital: compassion, empathy, caring for those in pain, in need. The more we learn to do THAT, the wiser we'll be whenever we contemplate going to war.

[brewangels]

DIRECTOR'S COMMENT:

No desire to defend Japan's aggression or second-guess Truman. I'm not a pacifist.

But in democracies, WE make life-and-death decisions. I believe we must be able to WISELY weigh the consequences. So I value all the passionate comments.

America's now at war. How much do media help us FEEL the human cost? On all sides.

My next project, "Brew Angels," (demo also on YouTube), offers a glimpse of the toll of our current wars. Check it out.

TO BE CONTINUED >>

[freacls]

why is it stupid the little girl is telling the story of a survivor maybe a young girl of her own age

[WELLBRAN]

Sorry but these accounts always use children, to smokescreen the activities of the Japanese Adult polulation..and what they were doing to my Father and thousands of others, see my video response

[howiseethings]

Sad how the director of this video ignores how the japanese government used their own children to fight this war of their starting. That is very sick indeed.

[atmark666]

all you-tuber some how agreed that jap killed and raped millions of Asian.

i dont think Japanese military has such low morale.

if they killed anyone, there must be an order form higher officer.

and why any military officer give an order to rape women?

i am sure not few of soldiers did rape but they raped millions?

i dont think every Asian hates Japanese, only chinks and Koreans.

[Garudanime]

@rtshchand i hope you get cancer and aids and die

[EchigoDragon]

@LionsPowerHouse If China is gonna mess with the "Japs" then they also mess with the "Yankees". Game over for China.

[yutaantonino]

@LionsPowerHouse how about exterminate FAT AMERICAN BITCHES u fucking redneck i hope US is bombed

[ZarathuPower]

Japan became a victim of war overnight despite the fact that it was offending country to many countries committing horrendous atrocities.

[ChronicxSnipe]

good

[majjaj]

تباً لكم يالامريكان

[chrikac]

The lesson we can learn is we need more transparency in government. Truman knew the Japanese wanted peace because they were asking for it as late as July 30.