Hibakusha cinema as means of rediscovering identity

Abstract

The thesis explores the topic of Hibakusha cinema which developed after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW II. The study focuses on rediscovering identity by Japanese society after the nuclear explosions. The aim of the analysis of hibakusha films directed by the generation of filmmakers who survived the war will aim to present how Japanese rediscovered and redefined their identity as a nation after the bombings. Filmmakers were chosen on the basis of their first-hand experience and insight into the Japanese condition before and then after the war. Thesis refers to Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay on Japanese aesthetics In Praise of Shadows. His examination of the society sheds new and interesting light on the Japanese outlook on the world and art. This thesis focuses also on the work of Akira Lippit Atomic Light (Shadow Optics). The publication provides the analysis of the atomic light as a new concept for interpreting the meaning of light, especially the cinematic light. Apart from a general overview of the Japanese history and culture thesis focuses on in-depth analysis of the content and form of movies of Akiro Kurosawa, Kaneto Shindo, Shinsei Adachi, and Hiroshi Teshigahara.