(October 2019) – We were honored to work with the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs to bring the remarkable documentary, “Pictures From a Hiroshima Schoolyard” to the UN on the occasion of the Youth 4 Disarmament Initiative and Peace Boat landing in October 2018. There was hardly a dry eye in the audience at the end of the film and the moderator fought through tears as she delivered the closing remarks.
Produced by dancer and artist Shizumi Shigeto Manale and written and directed by Bryan Reichhardt, the documentary dramatizes the tragedy resulting from the use of nuclear weapons and keeps alive the memories of those affected by the bombings for future generations.
A collection of surprisingly joyful drawings created by school children living among the ruins of Hiroshima in 1947 becomes the heart and soul of this true, inspiring documentary film about an exchange of gifts between Americans and Japanese after a devastating war.
The UN program, entitled Youth Champions for Securing our Common Future brought together approximately 75 young people from the ages of 18–30 who participated in activities promoting peace and disarmament in relationship to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The event was part of an initiative to connect young people with experts in order to learn about today’s international security challenges, the work of the United Nations, and how they can become involved.
The young people also participated in events on the Peace Boat, which was selected for the 2017 Noble Peace Prize. The Peace Boat carries out various projects and campaigns to promote peace, human rights and sustainability.
At the end of the film, the young people could not only identify with the Japanese children’s drawings but with the children themselves as real people affected by the devastation throughout their lifetimes.
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