About the Event
Minamata Mandala
Directed by Kazuo Hara
(Japan, 2020, 372 min.)
Friday September 29 / 7:00 PM
Part 1: 115 min.
Saturday September 30 / 5:00 PM
Part 2: 138 min.
Saturday September 30 / 8:00 PM
Part 3: 119 min.
Filmed over 15 years, this epic three-part documentary by Kazuo Hara (The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On) chronicles the history of struggle for a community in southern Japan suffering from “Minamata disease”—a debilitating neurological disease caused by methylmercury poisoning from the consumption of fish contaminated by industrial wastewater—as they continue the decades-long battle for legal recognition and reparations from the government. Both a deeply humanizing portrait of resilience and a comprehensive history of one of the worst pollution-related tragedies in human history, the MINAMATA Mandala gives voice to the many survivors, care providers, researchers, and supporters tirelessly fighting for visibility. From the director of Extreme Private Love Song 1974 and The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On comes another provocation, an investigation of the terrifying disease and its decades-long history in Japan.
Discounted parking available at Founder’s Court, $6 flat rate, credit card required.
Free and open to the public.
