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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.

  • Mark Olexa
    Director
    22015 Moriom, 2015 Stratagema, 2010 Heart-quake
  • Francesca Scalisi
    Director
    2015 Gente dei Bagni, 2015 Moriom
  • Mark Olexa
    Writer
  • Francesca Scalisi
    Writer
  • Mark Olexa
    Producer
  • Francesca Scalisi
    Producer
  • Christian Lelong
    Producer
  • Naoto Matsumura
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Demi-Vie à Fukushima
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 1 minute
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Visions du Réel Festival international de cinéma
    Nyon
    Switzerland
    April 15, 2016
    World premiere
  • Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    April 28, 2016
  • Environmental Film Festival Cineambiente Torino
    Torino
    Italy
    May 31, 2016
  • doc Buenos Aires 16° Muestra Internacional de Cine
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    October 20, 2016
  • FIDOCS Festival Internacional Documentales Santiago de Chile
    Santiago de Chile
    Chile
    November 7, 2016
  • This Human World 2016 Int. Filmfestival der Menschenrechte
    Vienna
    Austria
    December 1, 2016
  • Solothurner Filmtage
    Solothurn
    Switzerland
    January 19, 2017
  • Festival International Filmer le Travail
    Poitiers
    France
    February 10, 2017
Distribution Information
  • Syndicado
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Mark Olexa, Francesca Scalisi

Born in 1984 in Biel, Switzerland. Joint Swiss and Czech citizenship. 2005-06 Attends PCFE (Prague Film School). 2007-10 Attends ZeLIG (School for Documentary, Television and New Media) in Bolzano. 2012 Cofounds Dok Mobile and coproduces international projects. Cofounder and artistic director of Flying Film Festival.

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