New Film Based on US Journalist's Hiroshima Report to Fill Gaps in 'Oppenheimer'

A new feature film exploring the atomic bombing of Hiroshima has begun production. What Divides Us is a Japan-US co-production that tells the story of an American journalist who exposed the truth about the atomic bomb, and a Japanese pastor who supported his research. The film is based on the journalist's acclaimed article "Hiroshima," which was later published as a book. 

What Divides Us was conceived in 2014, with the script development starting in 2022. Filming will take place in both the United States and Japan, with a worldwide release to follow.

The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by a second bomb on Nagasaki three days later. Amid US government and military efforts to conceal the full extent of the devastation, journalist John Hersey took a huge risk when he decided to share the survivors' stories with the world.

Impact of Hersey's Reporting

In Hiroshima, Hersey encountered Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Christian pastor who studied at an American graduate school. Tanimoto provided Hersey with vivid accounts of the aftermath and suffering in Hiroshima. He was one of the six people featured in Hersey's Hiroshima report.

In August 1946, despite military pressure, The New Yorker published "Hiroshima," a bold move that jeopardized the magazine's survival. The detailed reporting shocked the world with its vivid portrayal of the bomb's effects, profoundly shaping post-war perspectives on nuclear weapons.

What Divides Us will be the first film adaptation of Hersey's article, bringing to life the horrors of the atomic bomb through survivors' firsthand accounts. The film aims to highlight the historical significance of these testimonies and explore the contemporary implications of nuclear armament. It will also include insights from Tanimoto's unpublished memoirs, offering a crucial Japanese perspective on the atomic bomb's tragedy.

A Steller Production Team

The production team features notable figures from both the US and Japan. Cannon Hersey, an artist and film producer as well as John Hersey's grandson, is known for his documentary Hiroshima Revealed. He is joined by Donald Rosenfeld, a New York-based producer recognized for award-winning films such as Howards End, The Remains of the Day, and The Tree of Life.

From Los Angeles, Robyn Rosenfeld, a film and TV producer celebrated for her work on Effie Gray, Creature Features, and Infodemic, is also part of the team.

From Japan, the members include Katsuhiro Tsuchiya, a former NHK producer known for projects like RYOMADEN, Yell, 37 Seconds, and Gift of Fire. He is joined by Taku Nishimae, a New York-based documentary and film producer who has received a Peabody Award.

The screenplay is written by Elizabeth Bentley, who collaborated with director Terrence Malick on A Hidden Life. Executive producers include members of the Tanimoto family, including Koko Kondo, who survived the atomic bombing at eight months old and was featured in "Hiroshima."

An Answer to 'Oppenheimer'

In 2023, the film Oppenheimer won multiple Academy Awards for its portrayal of physicist Robert Oppenheimer, often called "the father of the atomic bomb." This film renewed interest in the nuclear era, especially among younger audiences.

What Divides Us aims to build on this renewed interest by depicting the true impact of the atomic bombings, filling gaps in Oppenheimer. It seeks to serve as Japan's cinematic response to the acclaimed film.

John Hersey (1914-1993) 

Born in Tianjin, China, to missionary parents, John Hersey became a prominent World War II correspondent for Time and LIFE magazines, covering the Pacific front and China. In 1944, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel A Bell for Adano.

Despite strict information controls, Hersey traveled to Hiroshima in 1946 and wrote the groundbreaking article "Hiroshima" for The New Yorker. The article created a global sensation and its book version remains a longseller. It was ranked first in the New York University Department of Journalism's Top 100 American Journalism Works of the 20th Century. Although Hersey largely avoided discussing Hiroshima publicly, he revisited the city in 1985 and wrote Hiroshima: Aftermath.

Kiyoshi Tanimoto (1909-1986) 

Kiyoshi Tanimoto, born in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, graduated from the School of Theology at Kwansei Gakuin University. He moved to the United States in 1940 for postgraduate studies at Emory University. By 1943, he was the pastor of Hiroshima Nagarekawa Church.

In 1946, he had a pivotal encounter with John Hersey in Hiroshima, providing crucial details about the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombing. Tanimoto's insights were vital in helping Hersey convey the bombing's impact to the world.

Throughout his life, Tanimoto supported atomic bomb survivors, spreading the slogan "No More Hiroshimas." He also organized relief efforts for orphaned children and medical treatment for the Hiroshima Maidens, 25 women who were school-age girls when they were disfigured by the bomb. In 1895, he reunited with Hersey in 1985 to help create Hiroshima: Aftermath.

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(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: ORICON NEWS