Cinema Metropolis: Between Atom and Hope | Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki

How does a new urban identity emerge from atomic ashes? The crushing defeat in World War II and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave birth to radical and extraordinary architectural and cinematic movements in Japan. In the era of the American occupation that followed the disaster, along with Japan's transition to capitalism, Japanese architects and filmmakers responded immediately to the dramatic changes in their country, engaging in a complex dialogue with Western modernism.

Architects combined contemporary planning with local tradition, reshaping Japan's cities through a new materiality and a post-traumatic perception of urban space. At the same time, cinema also played a part in shaping the fracture: while veteran filmmakers like Yasujirō Ozu lamented the dismantling of the traditional home, directors of the 1960s "New Wave" bluntly embraced certain Western trends while fiercely rejecting others.

The lecture will examine the modern Japanese identity born out of the tension between groundbreaking architecture and expressive cinema. This tension, between surrendering to capitalist American influence and preserving local uniqueness, inevitably echoes similar questions that preoccupy the space, society, and cities of Israel today.

Following the lecture, we will screen the film Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon, 2003), a masterpiece in the anime genre—a style that developed as a tool for processing the national trauma and destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film follows a trio of homeless people on a human journey through the streets of a snowy Tokyo, portraying a living city torn between shimmering skyscrapers and the alienation of dark alleyways.

Event Schedule:

19:00 Hangout with Anan Records & drinks by Cafe Lev

20:00 Lecture – Between Atom and Hope

21:00 Film Screening: Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon, Japan, 2003, 92 mins)

Notes:

Unassigned seating; alternative seating arrangements

Early arrival is recommended to secure a spot when doors open

Registration is available for individual events; sessions can be attended independently

Speaker: Shani Kiniso, Film Researcher and Critic

Content Development: Moran Navon, Content Manager at Liebling Haus

This event is a collaboration between the Liebling Haus (one of the Bialik Square cultural centers), The Intangible Cinema Project, Devek and Anan Records.

Cinema Metropolis is an event series exploring global cities at critical turning points and times of crisis: from wars and political or religious tensions, through social and economic hardships, to eras of prosperity and peace. Each session examines different cities through the medium of film, revealing how historical crises shaped urban landscapes—both in reality and on screen. By looking at other cities during times of crisis and change, we hope to re-examine our own local space and contemplate the future we wish to shape here.

© 2003 Satoshi Kon, Mad House and Tokyo Godfathers Committee. All Rights Reserved.