Barefoot Gen (Mori Masaki, 1983) is on Friday 12 July. Image: NFSA.
G | 80 Mins | 1983 | DCP | JPN | D: Mori Masaki
Japanese – English subtitles
This renowned 1983 anime film depicts the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath through the eyes of a child. Schoolboy Gen is lucky to survive the initial blast and makes it home to save his pregnant mother but not without witnessing the horrific fate of other family and friends. In the days that follow, Gen, his mother, and Ryuta – a young boy orphaned by the bombing – struggle to survive.
Loosely based on the Japanese manga series by Keiji Nakazawa, a Hiroshima survivor, Barefoot Gen is a powerful reminder of the enormous human toll of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and a reflection on the devastating effects of atomic warfare.
‘…a powerful and memorable anti-war testament’ – The Austin Chronicle
Part of Progress 1984: To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the NFSA’s founding, the NFSA is presenting a series of special events throughout the year that commemorate significant moments of change in Australia in 1984. In July, the series marks the 1984 issuing of letters patent for the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia. Available as part of the Progress 1984: Atomic Weapons Event Pass: screenings of Barefoot Gen (Mori Masaki, 1983), MaralingaTjarutja + Director Q&A (Larissa Behrendt, 2020) and Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1964).
The Details
What: Barefoot Gen screening
When: Friday 12 July 2024, 6 pm
Where: NFSA Acton (Arc Cinema) – 1 McCoy Circuit, Acton ACT 2601
Cost: $12–16. Book tickets.
