The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom - Trailer (2012 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE) from Tsunami Blossom on Vimeo.
2012 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE - BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT2012 OFFICIAL SELECTION SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
2011 TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL
Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan's recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins.
A stunning visual poem about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan's most beloved flower.
Directed by Academy Award Nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker (Waste Land), featuring photography by Aaron Phillips and music by Moby.
Review
“The Tsunami and The Cherry Blossom' opens with a long clip of footage of the tsunami which is very simply jaw-dropping. Water sweeps houses and buildings along like toys, lifts up cars and swallows people.
Walker, one of the more fearless video-journalists around, went straight to the heart of the disaster, a northern Japanese village, where people were still in a state of shock. They shared their traumas, what they learned, how it affected their view of the world.
One man had his closest friend swept away in the water, just out of his grasp; a young girl was traumatized by memories of people calling for help who she could not reach.
It is all framed by the metaphor of cherry blossoms, a symbol deep in Japanese culture that suggests rebirth, and spring.
It turns out that Walker had started out doing a short film about cherry blossoms when the tsunami hit in March. “My first thought was, ‘Oh no, we can’t do it,’” she said at the q&a afterward. “My second thought was, ‘It’s more important than ever.’”
The 40-minute film is close to being bought by HBO.
Sources
Main website
Review from Reuters
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