Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2012

British documentarian Lucy Walker [pictured] has been busy forging bonds with Japan. The director was planning a piece on the cherry blossom season in Japan when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami struck. After having doubts as to whether she should carry on with the project, Walker and co-director Kira Carstensen travelled to Miyagi to film the people most affected by the disaster as they drew some amount of hope from the beauty of the cherry blossoms that returned as usual despite the tragedy. The result is The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, a moving, beautifully filmed tribute to the human spirit. “I think the film is about life and death and truth and beauty,” Walker commented. In January, film was nominated for the short doc Oscar and won a Jury Prize at the Sundance film festival on the same day. In accepting the Sundance award, Walker quipped that another memorable moment of the day came when she ordered a celebratory drink and was asked to show ID. Walker is no stranger to film festivals and award ceremonies. Her previous doc Waste Land on Brazilian artist Vik Muniz was an official selection at the 2010 Tokyo International Film Festival, and was nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar in 2011.

Oscar winners are posted at http://oscar.go.com.