Shades of Disarmament Film Festival

Report

By Harris Agha, NAPF/RTT

On 24 July 2023, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Reverse The Trend, Peace Boat US, Hibakusha Stories, Puffin Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation, and Lush Cosmetics, hosted “Shades of Disarmament”, a film festival featuring three impactful forms of media visualizing and displaying the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, as well as the greater disarmament movement. The event took place at the Scandinavia House located at 58 Park Avenue in New York.

The first film presented, “The Vow From Hiroshima”, is a portrait of Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor who was only thirteen years old when the bomb was dropped. Her moving story is told through the lens of her growing friendship with a second-generation survivor, Mitchie Takeuchi.

The second film presented, “In Our Hands”, is a comprehensive documentary featuring candid shots and interviews of those involved with the 1982 March and Rally for Nuclear Disarmament, in which over 1 million participants made their voices heard all throughout New York. 

Lastly, the trailer for “Shades of Disarmament”, after which the festival was named, was presented. “Shades of Disarmament” is an intergenerational film about the 1982 March and Rally. Featuring interviews with leading activists, Shades of Disarmament focuses on the necessity of including diverse voices - many of whom were marginalized during the march and rally - in the disarmament movement. 

Throughout those screenings, an interactive VR experience titled “On The Morning You Wake”, was presented outside of the theater. This interactive VR experience allowed participants to experience the 38 minutes the people of Hawaii lived under the threat of nuclear attack as the result of a false alarm.

Following the screenings, a panel discussion featuring several esteemed activists, as well as the producers of the films, was held. Panelists included Dr. Ivana Nikolic Hughes, President of the NAPF and a senior lecturer of chemistry at Columbia University; Susan Stricker, director and producer of “The Vow from Hiroshima”, and Mitchie Takeuchi, Writer & Producer of the film “The Vow From Hiroshima” and granddaughter of the founding President of the Hiroshima Red Cross; Michaela Ternasky-Holland, Senior Creative Strategist and Impact Producer of the Film “On The Morning You Wake;” Jeremiah Williams, RTT youth activist and interviewer for the short film “Shades of Disarmament;” and Seth Shelden, the UN liaison for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

Panelists discussed the merits of the current nuclear disarmament movement, steps going forward, and their own personal experiences regarding the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. Around forty audience members listened to their insights following the screenings, and joined for a reception held upstairs. The event was well received, with many audience members commending the panelists, as well as Reverse The Trend for facilitating an enjoyable and insightful learning experience.