Message from Hiroshima

Gr 9 Up—Director Masaaki Tanabe survived the atomic bomb as a child but lost family members to the horrible event. This film gathers survivors, known as hibakusha, and offers their recollections of Hiroshima before the bombing, their impressions of that terrible day, and a few final thoughts. Much of the film focuses on piecing together a portrait of Hiroshima before the bomb. The filmmakers interview survivors and use prewar maps and remarkable computer-generated effects to re-create homes, businesses, and temples in the city's core district, which was destroyed in the catastrophe. Most of the survivors were children or teens at the time. They mention war shortages, but most describe happy childhoods and friendly neighborhoods. The anguish and devastation of the atomic bomb and its aftermath are conveyed through first-person accounts and color pictures drawn by survivors. The final section presents the survivors' thoughts on war's terrible cost. Not surprisingly, all urge that the atomic bomb never be used again. They're interviewed amid Hiroshima's beautiful peace park, built atop the ruins of their former neighborhood. English subtitles and a few final facts provide context.