The Last Atomic Bomb 2005
Distributed by Forward In Time, Stanley Stern, Executive Producer, Parallel Lines, 48 Montauk Ave., East Hampton, NY 11937; (631) 329-6998
Produced by Kathleen Sullivan and Robert Richter
Directed by Robert Richter
DVD, color, 92 min.
Jr. High - Adult
American Studies, Asian Studies, Death and Dying, Disability Studies, Environmental Studies, Ethics, History, Human Rights, Military Studies, Women's Studies, World War II
Date Entered: 03/07/2008
Reviewed by Maureen Donovan, The Ohio State UniversityA compelling documentary focusing on the experiences of Sakue Shimohira, who was ten years old when a plutonium bomb exploded in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, The Last Atomic Bomb connects the dots to the present by also presenting efforts of young peace activists to ensure that her story and those of other hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) are documented while they are still alive.
Shimohira's story is revealed in stages, interwoven with archival footage, and brought to life as she visits sites where events took place, as well as through her travels to the United States and Europe to share her message about the cruelty of making children suffer in that way and her belief that it is still possible to reverse nuclear proliferation. Although she found within herself the "courage to live," Shimohira vividly describes the suffering that drove many others, including her own sister, to find the "courage to die" by committing suicide ten years after the bombing.
Divided into nineteen chapters that could be used separately, The Last Atomic Bomb has great potential to engage students or members of the community in discussions. In addition to the stories of Shimohira and other survivors and the young peace activists who work with them, the documentary includes interviews with Arjun Makhijiani, a nuclear engineer, Iccho Itoh, Mayor of Nagasaki, and Nobuyasu Abe, U.N. Under-secretary for Disarmament Affairs. Issues raised in the documentary include nuclear proliferation during the Cold War and the resulting situation today, the anti-nuclear movement, collateral damage during wartime, short term and long term effects of censorship of information about the bomb and its effects in the U.S. and Japan, military and political considerations behind the decision to use atomic bombs to end World War II, discrimination against victims of atomic warfare, and educational approaches to engaging these issues.
Awards
- Best Documentary, San Diego Asian Film Festival
- Audience Award for Best Documentary, Sao Paolo International Film Festival
- Press Award, Goasis International Film Festival (Brazil)
- CINE Golden Eagle