‘Oppenheimer’ sparks old projector screening of 1952 film ‘Children of Hiroshima’

HIROSHIMA — Inspired by the 35mm release of the American movie “Oppenheimer,” memories of the atomic bombing of this Japan city are being shared and passed down through a special screening of the 1952 film “Children of Hiroshima” using a film projector that was long thought to have completed its run.

The film, directed by Kaneto Shindo (1912-2012), will be screened at the Hatchoza theater in Hiroshima starting Aug. 2. Hatchoza is located on the eighth floor of the Fukuya Department Store’s Hatchobori Main Store, and every summer, it screens films on the themes of war and peace. The department store, which opened before World War II, withstood the atomic bombing of the city and served as a temporary aid station immediately after the bombing.

It was the recently released “Oppenheimer,” which won seven Academy Awards this year, that provided the spark for the revival of the Japanese film.

“Oppenheimer,” which focuses on the life of the brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” captured widespread attention. But its storyline was scrutinized for not depicting the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When the decision was made to release the film in Japan, Hatchoza held a preview screening in March and invited A-bomb survivors.

Message of ‘Children of Hiroshima’

While digital films are now mainstream, a 35mm film version of “Oppenheimer” was also produced, and Kentaro Kuramoto, the 46-year-old manager of Hatchoza, was approached by the film’s Japanese distributor about the possibility of a screening of the film edition as well.

Hatchoza’s now lone film projector was last used seven years ago, and had been left in the projection room. Since space was limited, the theater had planned to get rid of it, but believing there was picture quality and depth of sound that only a film version could provide, they tried running the film through the projector and found no problems. Screenings of “Oppenheimer” in its film take then commenced in mid-April.

This led to the decision to keep the projector, and the theater came up with the idea of reviving old films. The first one that came to Kuramoto’s mind was Shindo’s “Children of Hiroshima.” He thought the screening of “Oppenheimer” could also provide a chance for people to turn their attention toward A-bomb movies made in Japan.

Movies as a window to the world

“Children of Hiroshima” is a prominent A-bomb movie, and was shot on location in Hiroshima. The film is based on a book with the same name as the film’s Japanese title, “Genbaku no Ko.” The book is a compilation of essays written by 105 children who experienced the bombing. Shindo, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 100, was from Hiroshima himself and was a representative filmmaker of his hometown. Kuramoto said, “It’s a film full of vitality. Shindo was always trying to convey the energy of life.”

The screening of “Children of Hiroshima” at Hatchoza will be the first since 2015, the year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, and screenings will continue until Aug. 8. It offers a rare opportunity to view the film version on the big screen. “Oppenheimer” will also continue to run at the theater until mid-August, meaning Japanese and U.S. films themed on the atomic bombing will be shown side by side.

“Movies are a window to the world,” says Kuramoto. “As a movie theater located in the heart of Hiroshima, we’ve always focused on showing films themed on the atomic bombings and peace. We want to make the most of the miraculous revival of the film projector from here on.”

(Japanese original by Noboru Ujo, Osaka City News Department)