Japan's PBS Producing Documentary on Nagasaki Book and Author
A Japanese Film crew shot footage at Wilmington College in May for use in a documentary about author Susan Southard and her new book, Nagasaki: Life after Nuclear War.
PICTURED: The film crew shoots footage of Tanya Maus' global issues class.
Their interest in the College centers upon the book’s use in a global issues course, titled Hiroshima’s Shadows, taught by Dr. Tanya Maus, director of the Peace Resource and Quaker Heritage centers.
The NHK Nagasaki crew filmed a visit by the author to the class followed by the students’ final class meeting at which they concluded their discussion of the book.
“I am excited that our students had this opportunity to meet with Susan Southard and to have the experience of meeting and working with an international news crew, and to see the knowledge they learn at our College has direct relevance to the world around them,” Maus said.
NHK Nagasaki is the regional office of the Japan Broadcasting Corp. It is that country’s version of the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and the American Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Program director Yuki Watabe explained that, when met Maus last year at a lecture Southard presented in Nagasaki, she mentioned she uses the book in her class.
“I found her very enthusiastic so I thought it would be interesting to hear American students’ opinions on the book,” he said, noting students were “a little bit shy in front of the camera,” yet he appreciated their willingness to talk about the atomic bombing on camera.
Indeed, Watabe was impressed that the Peace Resource Center exists at Wilmington College.
“I think the Peace Resource Center is very meaningful — it has precious resources,” he added. “It takes a lot of courage to have this type of center and to display so much about this subject.
“The goal is to have a peaceful world.”
