3.11 - In the Moment

How do you recover from an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown that, in the span of a few minutes, wipe out members of your family, the town where you live and all that you own? Is a return to anything like “normal” possible?
“In the Moment” captures the experience of loss on a massive scale by telling very intimate stories of some of the survivors of the March 11 disasters in Northeast Japan. We see the power of nature to completely destroy pieces of civilization, but we also see the power of human will to overcome and endure horrific disaster.

Director's biography:

Ms. Kyoko Gasha is a film director and a New York-based Reuters journalist. Ms. Gasha was born in Tokyo and graduated from Sophia University in Tokyo. She started her career as a reporter for TV Tokyo. In 2001 she moved to the United States and began working for Reuters. She has also directed the film "Mothers' Way, Daughters' Choice". This film won The Front Page Award from Newswomen's Club of New York and the Audience Award and Best Cultural Documentary Award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in 2010.

Can You See Our Lights? First Festival after the Tsunami

Produced by NHK, 2011

Tohoku's colourful and passionate summer festivals have histories stretching back centuries. This year, due to the devastation caused by the tsunami, many of these traditional festivals were cancelled. Despite the hardships, Rikuzentakata City decided to hold their Ugoku Tanabata Festival. The organizers repaired damaged floats and drums, and invited scattered residents to join the festival. The documentary also features other festivals like the Kawabiraki (river opening) Festival in Ishinomaki, Miyagi; Soma Nomaoi in Minamisoma, Fukushima; and Hachinohe Sanshataisai in Hachinohe, Aomori. Experience the feelings, hopes and passions of people in the region during the festival season.

Setting Sail from the Ruins 
Produced by NHK, 2011

The town of Ofunato, Iwate suffered devastating damage in the tsunami. Many boats were washed away, and the fishing industry was nearly destroyed. Kenichiro Yagi and his fellow fishermen, who sell fish online, quickly rose up from the tragedy by resuming fishing in the debris-filled port. This program documents their comeback three months after the disaster.

Eclair
Directed by Akio Kondo, 2011

After losing his parents at very early age, Akio runs away from the orphanage so many times that he is sent to a reformatory. It is 1943, and the shadow of war is looming, about to change everything and lead him to a vagrant life. Akio encounters many people in his travels: The Detective who saves him from hunger by giving him his first pastry, the White Satan at the reformatory, a strict foster mother, a kind cinema owner, a traveling theatre company but the thing that keeps him going throughout is "Sweets & Girls," a song he learns from Yoko, his teacher at the orphanage. No matter what happens to him, thinking about sweets and singing this song give him the will to live...

Eclair was filmed in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, in autumn of 2010. The town was badly damaged by the tsunami shortly after the film opened in theatres, and many local extras and volunteers were injured or killed.

Rock: A Dog's Island 
Directed by Isamu Nakae, 2011

Six and a half hours by boat from Tokyo, the Noyama family runs a guesthouse on Miyakejima, a small volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. Their son, Shin, is a primary school student who adores his golden retriever puppy, Rock. In August 2000, Miyakejima erupts violently. As the family is forced to evacuate to the mainland, Rock goes missing. Although Shin and his family are eventually reunited with Rock at an animal rescue center, dogs are not allowed at the shelter where they are staying. With the family unable to return to the island, and Rock in poor health, Shin must make a difficult decision.

Quartet!

Kai Nagae hopes to become a professional violinist. He lives in Urayasu with his parents and older sister. His family used to perform classical music together but nowadays they care less for music and for each other. Wishing to be bacck together, Kai decides to form a family quartet.

Shot after the Great East Japan Earthquake, over 700 civilian volunteers supported the completion of this film in the hopes for quick recovery.

Fukushima Hula Girls 
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, 2011

The town of Iwaki City became world famous after the 2006 feature film Hula Girls depicted the townspeople's efforts to revive the town's economy by opening a Hawaii-themed resort, complete with palm trees, hula dancers and flame dancers. On March 11, 2011, Iwaki City was devastated by the tsunami that hit Northeast Japan, and the Spa Resort Hawaiians was converted to a temporary shelter. This film documents the Hula Girls' promotional tour of Japan, the rebuilding of the resort, and one dancer's life in the shadow of the damaged nuclear plant.

Light Up Nippon 
2011

Like many countries, Japan celebrates special occasions with fireworks, but it also has long held the belief that fireworks repose the spirits of the deceased and ward off bad luck. When Yoshitake Takada heard that fireworks events had been cancelled throughout Tokyo after 3.11, he went to the fireworks manufacturers. "What about bringing the fireworks not used in Tokyo to Tohoku?", he wondered. Thus Light Up Nippon, a project aiming to launch fireworks simultaneously in 10 disaster-stricken areas, was born. This documentary follows the entire process from the start through to August 11, 2011, when fireworks filled the skies.