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Dette video-portræt, Women of Fukushima, giver et enestående billede af, hvad der har fået japanerne på gaden for at demonstrere i et hidtil uset omfang. Den 28 min. lange film følger en gruppe på seks kvinder fra Fukushima, som hver især fortæller om hvordan Fukushima-katastrofen har grebet ind i deres tilværelse, og hvordan det har vækket nødvendigheden af at måtte sige fra overfor et samfund, som blot synes blindt i gang med at gå videre, som om intet var hændt.
Der var håb om, at DPJ (regeringsparti fra 2008-12) kunne forløse situationen, men skuffelsen over at premierminister Noda hen over hovedet på befolkningens ønsker og frygt gennemtvang en genstart af to reaktorer ved Oi-værket, er kolossal. Med den indignation over det politiske systems ryggesløshed, som en film som denne blotlægger, kommer vi tæt på en forklaring af, hvorfor Japan ved valget endte med at straffe DPJ eftertrykkeligt blot for at genindsætte et parti (LDP), som om noget ønsker atomkraften i Japan udbygget (se optegnelser for juni, juli og august 2012).
Skaberne af filmen Women of Fukushima – på japansk Fukushima no Onnatachi – skriver om deres baggrund for at lave filmen:
“The full ramifications of the aftermath of the disaster that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011 will take decades to unfold. Having shifted from the initial visceral drama to a more long-term, almost invisible threat, there is a real risk that the situations faced by residents of Fukushima Prefecture will simply vanish from the radar screens of the world’s media (or, in the case of Japanese media, remain non-existent). To this day, as a result of the meltdowns, children can’t play outside, families are breaking up, and women are even having abortions for fear of genetic damage to their unborn children. Hope is hard to come by in Fukushima.
However, after meeting a group of outspoken local women, we were compelled to capture their spirit and stories. These Japanese women, traditionally shy and quiet, have taken their anger, anxiety, frustration and loss of hope, and turned it into a rallying call to move forward to change Japan and the world into a safer place for our children. Their resilience and honesty in the face of the Japanese government’s lies and complacency compelled us to provide a platform for them to speak their minds. The results surprise, shock and inspire.
Our motivation for making this film was to ensure that the world could witness the honesty and courage of these women who have dared to speak up, while others have remained silent.”¹
The Filmmakers, Women of Fukushima.¹