SON OF FUKUSHIMA
Beth Balaban, Beth Murphy | Japan, USA 2019 | 63 Min. | OmeU
World Premiere
Due to the nuclear disaster of Fukushima and its aftermath, the Ouchi Family is forced to leave their home. The Family loses not only their farmland which they cultivated for generations, but also their whole identity is in risk. As the world biggest radiological cleanup continues, Hidekatsu, the oldest son, is responsible for his family’s heritage.
Son of Fukushima accompanies Hidekatsu throughout four years of uncertainty and tells in animated pictures the past of his family that already had survived a nuclear disaster before. A film about the meaning of family in times of crisis while thematizing environmental issues.
Directors: Beth Balaban, Beth Murphy
Camera: Beth Balaban
Sound: David Cieri
Animation: Christian Schlaeffer
Editing: Kristen Salerno
Producer: Beth Balaban, Beth Murphy
Biography Beth Balaban
Beth Balaban is a documentary filmmaker based in Massachusetts. She is co-founder of The Non-Fiction Cartel, a short-form documentary film collaborative in New England. She focuses on quiet stories of everyday heroes who struggle against unjust systems and forces just beyond their control. Son of Fukushima is her first feature film.
Biography Beth Murphy
Beth Murphy is founder of Principle Pictures and The GroundTruth Project’s EP of Film/Video. She is the director/producer/EP of more than 20 documentaries, including six features. Through impact campaigns, she moves the needle on important social issues, most recently succeeding in building a women’s college in Afghanistan. Awards include: Emmy, World Press Photo, Overseas Press Club, Scripps Howard, National Headliner, Webby, RTNDA Edward R. Murrow, and Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University.
