<html><head></head><body><div style="font-family: Verdana;font-size: 12.0px;"><div>Hello Everyone,</div>
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<div>the schedule for the various screenings of John Junkerman's highly acclaimed documentary film<em> Okinawa: The Afterburn </em>(Okinawa: Urizun no Ame) in the U.S. this fall was already sent out a while ago. But I wanted to remind everyone in the Boston area that a screening of the film will take place this coming Friday, November 4, at Harvard University from 4:00-6:30 PM (in the Tsai Auditorium (S010), CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge Street).</div>
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<div>The film has won many awards, among them the no. 1 position on Kinema Junpo's Best Ten documentaries of the year list, and the prize for best documentary from the Mainichi Film Awards.</div>
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<div>We are delighted that John Junkerman will be present for Q&A and discussion after the film, and hope to see you there! </div>
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<div>Best,</div>
<div>Alex</div>
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<div><b>Okinawa: The Afterburn</b></div>
<div><b>(Okinawa: Urizun no Ame)</b></div>
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<div>Running Time: 121 minutes</div>
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<div>Directed by John Junkerman</div>
<div>Produced by YAMAGAMI Tetsujiro</div>
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<div>In 1945, the Japanese island of Okinawa was the site of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Still today, with 32 American bases, it remains a bastion of US military power in East Asia. After their island was literally burned to ashes, the Okinawan people developed a deep-seated aversion to war, but the island was fated to be the launching pad for American wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East.</div>
<div>Acclaimed in Japan since its June 2015 release, <i>Okinawa: The Afterburn</i> is the first film to provide a comprehensive picture of the battle and the ensuing occupation of the island by the US military. This revised, updated English version provides timely context for the ongoing controversy over the construction of a new Marine Corps base on Okinawa. </div>
<div>The Battle of Okinawa lasted 12 weeks and claimed the lives of 240,000 people. This film depicts the story through the eyes of Japanese and American soldiers who fought each other on the same battlefields, along with Okinawa civilians who were swept up in the fighting, complemented by extensive archival footage from the US National Archives.</div>
<div>The film also depicts the history of military dominance and popular resistance from the postwar occupation (which lasted until 1972) through the present. <i>Okinawa: The Afterburn</i> is a heartfelt plea for peace and an expression of deep respect for the unyielding spirit of the Okinawa people.</div>
<div>This ambitious documentary was directed by the American filmmaker John Junkerman. His previous films include <i>Uminchu: The Old Man and the East China Sea</i>, featuring the rugged beauty of the Okinawan island, Yonaguni; and <i>Japan’s Peace Constitution</i>, exploring the global significance of Japan’s pacifist national charter.</div>
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<div>* Best Documentary 2015, Mainichi Film Awards</div>
<div>* No. 1, Kinema Jumpo Best Ten Documentaries 2015</div>
<div>* Grand Prize, Koenji Documentary Film Festival, Tokyo </div>
<div>* Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival</div>
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