Half-Life in Fukushima*

In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a Japanese farmer ekes out a solitary existence within the radiation red zone. As Naoto wanders through the empty streets of his hometown, he confronts the remnants of a lost society. Shooting on lustrous film stock, directors Mark Olexa and Francesca Scalisi reveal the surreal scope and devastation of the nuclear tragedy, and the stubborn signs of life among the ruins: a touching encounter with an ostrich; a round of golf at an abandoned driving range; and a breathtaking eruption of music and emotion on the stage of a karaoke bar. As Naoto struggles to build a new life within this post-apocalyptic landscape, Half-Life in Fukushima offers a stunning vision of a place where the ghosts of the past meet the perils of the future.