Purdue professor screening documentary on Japanese earthquake
February 14, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Japanese documentary featuring the lives of those affected by the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 will be shown at 3 p.m. March 3 in Purdue University's Lilly Hall, Room 1005.
Yuka Kan'no, an earthquake survivor, collected accounts from people in her hometown of Rikuzentakata to create the film "Kyo-o mamoru" (Resilience: Protecting Today). The showing, which is free and open to the public, is part of the workshop "Living after the Disaster: Stories from the 2011 Japanese Earthquake." The workshop aims to educate people on the occurrence and aftermath of this natural disaster and where the recovery effort stands today.
In 2012 Kazumi Hatasa, a Purdue professor in the School of Languages and Cultures, oversaw a project to create English subtitles for the documentary, making it accessible to an American audience. A dozen different universities, including Purdue, participated in the undertaking involving 60 Japanese language students.
Following the screening, Hatasa will speak on the current state of Rikuzentakata using his personal observations from visiting in May and December of last year. He will also provide a brief description of the original disaster and its extensive damage.
The Great East Japan Earthquake hit the island country on March 11, 2011, registering a 9.0 on the Richter scale. It triggered a tsunami that drove the official death toll to more than 15,000.
Writer: Morgan Stephens, 765-490-4855, MorganLStephens@gmail.com
Source: Kazumi Hatasa, 765-494-3846, khatasa@purdue.edu
Related websites:
Kazumi Hatasa's subtitle project
