On Wednesday March 9th, approximately 100 people showed up at Toronto’s Revue Cinema to see the Canadian premiere of Tohoku Tomo; a documentary about the volunteers who came to Japan’s aid after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate on March 11, 2011.
In English, the movie’s title translates to “Friends of Tohoku” (Tohoku being the northeast region of Japan’s Honshu island, and Tomo meaning friends).
To commemorate the 5th anniversary of the earthquake, and the film’s premiere, director Wesley Julian was flown in from Chicago. Attendees of the screening were able to enjoy a Q&A with him after the movie.
The film’s kickstarter campaign, started in March 2013, raised $11,000. When asked about previous experience in film, Mr. Julian replied he had none. He told the audience that while many films were being made to document the disaster itself, nothing was being done about the bond (or “kizuna”) that was developing as a result. “Don’t inhibit yourself because of your fear of failure”, he said. He had an idea and decided to do what it took to accomplish it, like many of the volunteers in the film – they wanted to help out and found a way to do so in any way they could.
In addition to the movie, the audience watched three episodes of the 113 Project, a collection of short films highlighting the spirit of Tohoku and reminding people that although the March 11th disaster happened, there is more to the region than just that. The 113 revolves around 5 main themes: Festivals, Young Adults, Local Business, the Sake Industry, and “The Seed of Hope in the Heart”.
Even for those of us who have never been to Tohoku, these films remind us of the love and deep bond many of us share with Japan, the friends we have made there, and the experiences we have had.
#TohokuTomo
Article contributed by Tanya Gardecky, photos by Nicholas Jones and Stephen Branston