Sunday, June 10, 2012

Fukushima scrennings and updates

A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to show my film "In the Grey Zone" in international competition later this summer.  I have been holding off letting people know about it until I have more details, but knowing that we have at least one screening confirmed has made the continuing process of festival submission somewhat less stressful.

I will be posting more as soon as I receive the details of the World Premier of "In the Grey Zone", my feature documentary about the children living in the radiation zone 20-30 km from the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima (website here and trailer here).

Since finishing "In the Grey Zone", I have continued to travel to Fukushima to film updates on the continuing situation, with Discovery News publishing my guest blogs at six-months (here) and one-year  (here).

This week, I am again in Fukushima to film an update.  This time, however, my focus is markedly different.  While my main focus has always been (and continues to be) what is happening to the people, this time I am filming in a place where there are no people: in the exclusion zone itself.

There is a connection between this no-go area and the people who live right on its border.  The border itself is well-marked and the crossing of it by people is well-monitored (it is illegal to cross it without special permission).  Yet radiation flows unmolested across this line, not stopping for the laws made by men.

How is crossing the border going to help me to understand this continuing problem and the affects on those living so close to it?  I look forward to discovering and sharing with you that answer. 

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