Several Japanese films which are related to natural disasters in Japan, including two documentaries on the victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, are to be screened in Hanoi from Sept 13 – 15 in an attempt to pay tribute to the deceased and remind the living of how horrendous calamities can be.

The films, which will have both Vietnamese and English sub-titles, will be screened for free at the National Cinema Center, 87 Lang Ha, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, from Sept 13 to 15.

The fest opens with the newest documentary film, “The Radio of Hope” (2012), which depicts the life of town residents struggling to recover from the ferocious tsunami spawned by the Tohoku earthquake, also known as the 3.11 Earthquake, one of the five largest earthquakes ever recorded in Japan in March, 2011. The horrific catastrophe claimed 15,854 lives, and caused an estimated economic cost of US$235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in world history.

The people in the film run an emergency radio station, which aims to bring smiles and joys to as many disaster victims as possible through the radio. This documentary has been a long-run hit in Japan since its premier screening in April 2012.

“Light up Nippon” (2012) is another documentary film which is related to the 3.11 disaster. The film highlights the young people’s challenge in reviving the devastated areas in Tohoku through fireworks, a Japanese traditional art form.

Meanwhile, “Eclair” (2011) is a feature film revolving around an orphan boy who vigorously survives the World War II and gained the strength to live on by thinking about candies and singing a song.

This film was shot in 2010 in several locations in Miyagi Prefecture, where the 3.11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck one year later. Most of the locations were later wiped out by the tsunami and several volunteers and cooperators of this film fell victim to the disaster.

Based on a true story, “Wanko” is another feature film which depicts the life of one family and a dog in Miyakejima, a small island where a volcano erupted on the island in August, 2000. This film has moved audiences around the world to tears for the sufferings that the family and their faithful, smart dog endured following the eruption as well as the intimate bonds they shared.

The event, designed to commemorate the Japan – Vietnam Friendship Year in 2013, is put on by the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

Free admission tickets are available at the Japan Foundation, 27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

Those interested can take a look at http://jpf.org.vn/ for detailed information.