Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2012

The earthquake and tsunami disaster of March 11, 2011 has spawned numerous documentaries, including Lucy Walker’s Academy Award-nominated short The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. Successful manga entrepreneur and former long-term Japan resident Stu Levy was so moved by the plight of people in the northeast that he used his own money to produce this not-for-profit film.

Generally sketching the tragedy, people’s suffering, and efforts to recovery, the film is divided into topics like “family” and “volunteers” to tell individual’s stories. These vignettes are segmented using artwork and poetry as intermezzo. The film is heartfelt and it’s impossible not to have empathy for the survivors or feel a sense of pride in humanity for the selfless work of the volunteers.

One could quibble with some of the difficult-to-read on-screen text or repetition of people’s names but these are minor points. While the pacing is good and the visuals powerful the film does have a flaw that is more than a quibble. The first presentation of the stories followed in the flick is generally the most powerful and all subsequent returns to those stories seem to lessen their impact instead of increase it. This is Levy’s first effort as a director and it shows. He needs to build to an emotional climax or epiphany instead of giving it all away in the beginning.

Having said that, Pray for Japan is well worth a watch to comprehend to scale of the tragedy and goodness of those willing to help. Kudos to Stu for his work in helping heal the wounds.

(88 min)

http://prayforjapan-film.org. Showing at Cinemart Roppongi, March 17-25. Tel: 03-5413-7711.