3.11: Surviving Japan is an eye opening movie which uncovers a post 3.11 story which has remained untold in Japan and the throughout the world. In portraying the reality that people living in affected areas face, the film touches on a variety of different topics which force viewers to reflect on their lives and how things most people take for granted (electricity, government protection, access to safe food, etc.) could suddenly change during a disaster scenario. Who can we trust to ensure our safety on the one fateful day that a disaster takes place? And if we do trust the government and the big corporations, does the bureaucracy allow them to provide adequate disaster relief to those in need?
In viewing the film, one cannot help to experience the emotions felt by the women in evacuation centers, mothers who cannot let their children play outside due to fears of radiation, the people who were abandoned by the government and not allowed into an evacuation center, people who lost their hometowns and wait in contaminated areas because they know of no other place to live. The film shows the ripple effects of man-made nuclear accidents and the minuscule power of the human race in trying to clean up such a mess. This film provides a warning to people around the world: we must reevaluate our energy consumption needs and move away from dangerous energy-producing technologies that have the potential to cause such widespread destruction.
