A short Japanese animation on the theme of last March's devastating quake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis received special mention on Friday at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival. The film titled ''663114'' by director Isamu Hirabayashi, 39, got a special mention in the ''generation section'' competition for films for youths 14 to 17 years old.
''Through a simple metaphor he portrays the survival of a culture, even in the face of catastrophe,'' the youth jury said in praising the work. The animated film tells the story of a cicada that, after spending 66 years underground since the end of World War II, emerges only to survive the natural disasters and accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The title 663114 stands for 66 years, 3/11 (or March 11, the date the earthquake and tsunami struck) and four (the number of nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant.) A message from director Hirabayashi, who was in Japan, was read out at the awards ceremony. ''Children are being exposed to dangerous radioactivity a year after the earthquake. It is our responsibility as Japanese adults to protect the children.''
Published on Monday, 20 February 2012
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