Hadashi no gen
(Barefoot Gen)
- Japan 1983, 110 min.
Director:
Screenplay:
Notes:
- "Barefoot Gen" is an animated film based on a
cartoon series written by NAKAZAWA Keiji. While a first
grade student in primary school, he survived the Atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and lost his father, sister and
brother. He published this cartoon series in the boy's
weekly magazine "Shonen Jump" in 1973. The
series met with great public response, and it was
published in book form in 1975. The book became a
bestseller and was translated into English, German and
Esperanto. The story not only reveals the tragedy and the
fear of the A-bomb victims, but also how a boy named Gen
survived the desperate times, without a loss of faith in
humanity, and without bitterness.
- Although the book was dramatised and filmed as a motion
picture in 1976 directed by YAMADA Tengo, its final
success was the later animation film by Gen productions.
The production company was established by NAKAZAWA Keiji
especially for this film. The director, MASAKI Mori, was
previously a cartoonist in Mushi Productions which was
leaded by TEZUKA Osamu. MASAKI also created several
animation films such as "Haguregumo" (A
Separated Cloud). In "Hadashi no gen" (Barefoot
Gen) he visually depicted the fiery inferno of Hiroshima
which resulted after the bomb was dropped. The reality
could be portrayed most realistically by animation.
Cross reference to "Hadashi no
gen 2"