Recently I watched the premiere of a documentary called Flashes of Hope: Hibakusha Traveling the World. This took place at the United Nations as a side event during the General Assembly First Committee’s session on disarmament and international security matters. To my surprise, the film was directed by a young woman from Costa Rica who only started investigating hibakusha and nuclear weapons issues one year ago.
One feature that I liked about the film is the director’s combination of images and educational aids, which helped demystify and clarify questions such as what happens when an atomic bomb detonates. At the start of the film, a nuclear disarmament educator gives a scientific yet easily understandable explanation of what happens at the moment of detonation of an atomic bomb, illustrating it visually with artwork by hibakusha and clips from the animated version of Barefoot Gen (introduced below). This was really helpful as young people, especially from developed countries, often find it difficult to even begin imagining what it’s like to experience the horrific effects of war, and atomic bombs in particular.
Another unique feature was the film’s rhythmic pace. Each segment of the film was concise, with original background music setting a steady tone throughout the film, which held my attention all the way through. I have heard the director saying that she wanted to touch young people who are used to fast-paced media such as MTV. Listening to her remarks, I was once again reminded that young people’s boundless creativity, fresh ideas and innovative approaches can contribute to reducing indifference and disinterest by their peers toward nuclear disarmament without necessarily having to become an expert in nuclear disarmament.
I would like to mention a few other multimedia works for those who may be interested:
“1945-1998” shows the history of atomic bombing and testing throughout the world using computer graphics, sound and light. http://www.ctbto.org/specials/1945-1998-by-isao-hashimoto/
This website lists winning short videos from the “WMD – We Must Disarm” campaign launched by the UN: http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/2009/competition.shtml