Moved by Sadako’s story, Iranian filmmaker to shoot new film in Hiroshima
Aug. 20, 2013
by Daisuke Matsumoto, Staff Writer
Work on a new movie tentatively titled “The Fourth Crane,” a co-production between Iran and Japan, will start as early as this fall. The film will be based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who was exposed to the atomic bomb at the age of 2 and passed away ten years later as a result of radiation-induced leukemia. Tokyo resident Kyoko Heya, an art director for film who is originally from Hiroshima and is involved in the project, has launched a group called “Hiroshima Partners” to support the film shoot in Hiroshima that will take place next January.
The movie is the brainchild of Sirous Hassanpour, an Iranian filmmaker who was inspired by Sadako’s determination to recover from her illness by folding paper cranes from her sickbed. The plot of the film follows a girl from Iran, a victim of the poison gas used during the Iran-Iraq War, as she visits Hiroshima and encounters the thoughts that Sadako left behind.
Mr. Hassanpour visited Hiroshima last year on August 6, the day which commemorates the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and heard from members of Sadako’s family and A-bomb survivors. He said that he hopes to share Sadako’s message of peace with the children of the world. In September, he will begin searching for suitable locations to film in Hiroshima, then start shooting the movie in Iran in October.
Ms. Heya was asked by an Iranian producer living in Tokyo to assist with the project. Ms. Heya is appealing for people to join the effort, saying, “This film will unite the hearts of Hiroshima and Iran to convey a message of peace. I’d like to expand our circle of friends involved in the production.”
For more information on the “Hiroshima Partners,” visit http://www.h-partners.jp or call 090-1682-1755.
(Originally published on August 9, 2013)
Work on a new movie tentatively titled “The Fourth Crane,” a co-production between Iran and Japan, will start as early as this fall. The film will be based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who was exposed to the atomic bomb at the age of 2 and passed away ten years later as a result of radiation-induced leukemia. Tokyo resident Kyoko Heya, an art director for film who is originally from Hiroshima and is involved in the project, has launched a group called “Hiroshima Partners” to support the film shoot in Hiroshima that will take place next January.
The movie is the brainchild of Sirous Hassanpour, an Iranian filmmaker who was inspired by Sadako’s determination to recover from her illness by folding paper cranes from her sickbed. The plot of the film follows a girl from Iran, a victim of the poison gas used during the Iran-Iraq War, as she visits Hiroshima and encounters the thoughts that Sadako left behind.
Mr. Hassanpour visited Hiroshima last year on August 6, the day which commemorates the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and heard from members of Sadako’s family and A-bomb survivors. He said that he hopes to share Sadako’s message of peace with the children of the world. In September, he will begin searching for suitable locations to film in Hiroshima, then start shooting the movie in Iran in October.
Ms. Heya was asked by an Iranian producer living in Tokyo to assist with the project. Ms. Heya is appealing for people to join the effort, saying, “This film will unite the hearts of Hiroshima and Iran to convey a message of peace. I’d like to expand our circle of friends involved in the production.”
For more information on the “Hiroshima Partners,” visit http://www.h-partners.jp or call 090-1682-1755.
(Originally published on August 9, 2013)
