Visit the UCLA Film & Television Archive website to learn more about upcoming screenings and events.

Free admission. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.

In March 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan rocked the northern coastal Tōhoku region followed soon after by a devastating tsunami. The dual natural disaster triggered the Fukushima nuclear accident and left almost 20,000 people dead, caused billions of dollars in damage and disrupted lives and communities forever. Just six months later, directors Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Ko Sakai began a two-year project to create an oral history of the disaster. Eschewing footage of the events, Hamaguchi and Sakai spoke with dozens of survivors, young and old, first responders, politicians and everyday citizens. In the resulting trilogy (divided into four parts), they recount stories from the day but also reflect on the ethical concerns it raised, the responsibility of the individual in moments of crisis to themselves, their loved ones and their community. For their part, Hamaguchi and Sakai restrict themselves to simple camera setups that nevertheless reveal a continued exploration of how framing and editing impact our perceptions of reality, narrative and the overlap between them. Presented here in its entirety, the Tōhoku Documentary Trilogy will include intermission and meal breaks between films.—Senior Public Programmer Paul Malcolm

Screening 1 of 4

The Sound of Waves

Nami no Oto

Year: 2012
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Runtime: 142 min.
Digital. Color

Directors: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Ko Sakai.

Screening 2 of 4

Voices from the Waves - Kesennuma

Year: 2013
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Runtime: 109 min.
Digital. Color

Directors: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Ko Sakai.

Screening 3 of 4

Voices from the Waves - Shinchimachi

Year: 2013
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Runtime: 103 min.
Digital. Color

Directors: Ko Sakai, Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Screening 4 of 4

Storytellers

Year: 2013
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Runtime: 120 min.
Digital. Color

Directors: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Ko Sakai.