White Light/Black Rain

I was amazed to read that this is the 1st year the U.S. government has sent an official envoy to Hiroshima for the anniversary of the 1945 bombing. It was therefore quite appropriate for Viz Cinema to show White Light/Black Rain, Steven Okazaki's 2007 documentary about hibakusha. I went to the midday show yesterday, & it predictably left me low-key & phlegmatic for the rest of the day. It's comprised primarily of interviews with 14 survivors of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki blasts & has a just-the-facts tone, avoiding overt political statements. I like that it focuses on the aftermath of the bomb as well. I was made very uncomfortable by excerpts from a 1955 episode of This Is Your Life which brought together a Hiroshima survivor & a pilot on the Enola Gay.

Viz Cinema is a small, modern & comfortable theater, & there was a moderately sized audience for the screening. This month's schedule features WW II documentaries & feature films as well as Kurosawa classics.