Sennan Asbestos Disaster Trailer

Posted on June 28, 2018

The powerful documentary, Sennan Asbestos Disaster, about asbestos, circles the globe. Director Kazuo Hara and Producer Sachiko Kobayashi’s film tells the story about Sennan workers and their families who sued the Japanese government for asbestos-related injuries and deaths. We invite and encourage you to attend the upcoming screening of the documentary at the Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film on Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 6:45 PM in New York City.

As Director Kazuo Hara shared, “I have made this film for people to seek and find other kinds of value in life. In Japan, we have suffered from different kinds of pollutions which include: Minamata Disease, Asbestos Disease, Nuclear related sickness from Nuclear plant disaster, Itai-Itai disease caused by industrial wastes, so called Sumin-Disease. Those were caused by the idea that materialistic wealth would bring happiness to the Human race– probably we need to throw those materialistic ideas away. We live in a different culture and different nation and need to realize the different realities of different country’s problems. I am looking forward to seeing various discussions occur through this film.”

Hara’s film begins in 2008, just a few years after the asbestos victims’ quest for truth and justice began. Through his lens, Hara captures the victims’ pain, torment, and determination to hold the government accountable for knowingly exposing them to deadly asbestos.

Sennan Asbestos Disaster has won various awards including:

  • Citizens’ Prize, 2017 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
  • BIFF Mecenat Award, 2017 Busan International Film Festival
  • Audience Award, 2017 Tokyo FILMeX International Film Festival

For asbestos victims, the arduous legal battle often feels like a second cruel and insurmountable obstacle. According to Sugio Furuya, Coordinator of Ban Asbestos Network Japan (BANJAN) and Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN), “When Kubota Corporation victims spoke out in the summer of 2005 after a big asbestos scandal – the so called “Kubota Shock” occurred. This made the public become aware of (real extent of) asbestos hazards. Asbestos victims in Sennan area – former mecca of asbestos textile industry in Japan – were some of them. They started historical asbestos litigation in Japan and finally won at the supreme court. Now they are very important parts of national asbestos victims network. Mr. Hara has filmed not only official procedures of the litigation, but also private scenes of the plaintiffs. This is not a hero’s story but an impressive human drama of perdinary persons who had to experienced hard legal processes in order to achieve justice for them. I believe you will receive big empathy – probably with tears and some laughter.”

History is a great teacher to those who listen. Dr. Barry Castleman, legal and medical expert shared, “In a world precedent, the Supreme Court ordered the Japanese government to compensate disabled workers because of the past failure of the Ministry of Labor to protect workers from asbestos.”

ADAO congratulates Hara on this award winning documentary and thanks the brave ABAN campaigners for getting the real and tragic asbestos story to the global audience. And finally, we thank and honor all the asbestos victims in Sennan who championed for truth and justice.

Asia continues to be the world’s largest asbestos producer and user. It’s reprehensible that the USA allow for raw asbestos imports and use to continue. As the film Sennan Asbestos Disaster confirms, there is no safe or controlled use of asbestos.

The time is now for the USA to join over 60 other countries who have banned this deadly killer, asbestos.  

Follow the film festival by checking their twitter, and facebook, and following the hashtag #JapanCuts.

In solidarity,

Linda Reinstein
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