Film: The Sisters of Nagasaki wins international award

Sisters of Nagasaki poster

A filmmaker from Quebec, Canada, lain Vézina, has received Special Recognition for his documentary THE SISTERS OF NAGASAKI about a group of Catholic nuns who survived the Atomic bomb dropped over Nagasaki, 74 years ago.

The film was given the award at the Ninth th International Uranium Film Festival held in the cinema of Rio de Janeiro's prestigious Modern Art Museum.

The Festival's jury write: "With unique archive footage Alain Vézina skillfully tells an extraordinary story about atomic bomb victims and survivers (Hibakusha) that has not yet been told." Festival director Norbert G Suchanek said the selected audience was very impressed with the film.

THE Sisters of Nagasaki tells the true story of eight Catholic nuns from Quebec who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, on 9 August 1945. They had been held prisoner by the Japanese, with others. The bomb freed these women, yet jailed them in a prison of the mind through their traumatic memories of this nuclear holocaust. Some of these nuns wrote gruelling accounts of their captivity and its horrifying conclusion.

These precious documents, many of which have never before been released, show us that the prisoners not only witnessed the devastation caused by the bomb, but also intervened to help the survivors, especially the children.

Many years later, some of the Canadian nuns succumbed to the long-term effects of radiation exposure, thereby joining the ranks of the 74,000 victims of Nagasaki.

Alain Vézina said: "It's a subject that has been in my head for a number of years, but I always.. had other projects. But it's a beautiful subject, it's a story that deserves to be told." It took him two years to research and finalize the film. "Initially there were just a dozen photographs, no more." Finally he received a response, from a 98 year old nun, who is in possession of photo albums that virtually nobody has ever seen.

THE SISTERS OF NAGASAKI (Les sœurs de Nagasaki), Canada, 2018, Director: Producer: Merlin Films, 52 min, French, English subtitles.

Watch a trailer here: https://vimeo.com/288512291

The film is distributed by: HG Distribution, https://hgagnondistribution.com/en/titles/new-releases/sisters-nagasaki

The International Uranium Film Festival is the only annual film festival that highlights all nuclear and radioactive issues: nuclear fuel chain, uranium mining, atomic bombs, nuclear power plants, nuclear waste & nuclear accidents: from Hiroshima to Fukushima. The first Uranium Film Festival was held May 2011 in Rio de Janeiro. Since that it became a global event with festival screenings around the globe.

The Festival has no big sponsors from the industry and depends mainly on donations.

For more information or if you would like to support them see: Brazil www.uraniumfilmfestival.org - Email: info@uraniumfilmfestival.org