SKU 3060
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CHILDREN OF HIROSHIMA (1952) * with switchable English subtitles *

Kaneto Shindô Writers: Arata Osada (novel), Kaneto Shindô Stars: Nobuko Otowa, Osamu Takizawa, Masao Shimizu
$14.99

Takako works as a teacher on an island off the coast of Hiroshima.  During the summer holidays, she goes back to Hiroshima to visit the graves of her parents and younger sister, who died when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city.  She sees a beggar and realizes it's Iwakichi, a man who used to work for her parents.  He, too, was in the city when the bomb was dropped and is now partially blind and has severe burns on his face.  Asking about his family, Takako discovers that the man's grandson, Taro, is in an institution.  She goes to see the child and finds that the children barely have enough to eat.  Takako offers to take the man and his grandson with her back to the island, but they refuse.  Afterwards, Takako visits Natsue, a former instructor at the kindergarten where Takako used to teach.  Natsue has been rendered sterile by the atomic bomb blast and is considering adopting an orphan.  Visiting the school, Takako meets a student, whose father has recently died from radiation poisoning.  Another student is terminally ill and dying in a church, where many people with bomb-related injuries have gathered.  Takako once more goes to Iwakichi's house and begs him again to let her take Taro back to the island.  At first, the man refuses; but his wife persuades him to relent.  Taro, however, doesn't want to leave his grandfather.  Iwakichi buys the child new shoes and sends him to Takako with a letter.  He then sets his house on fire, determined to end his misery for good.

DVD-R is in Japanese with switchable English subtitles.  Approx. 95 mins.  See video sample for picture and audio quality!

PLEASE NOTE THAT SWITCHABLE (SOFT) SUBTITLES WILL NOT SHOW UP WHEN VIEWING THE SAMPLE BELOW.  IF YOU SEE SUBTITLES, THEN THEY ARE HARD-ENCODED (meaning, they cannot be turned off when viewing the film):

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