Hiroshima / Pearl Harbor

HIROSHIMA
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima is inarguably the single most significant act of the twentieth century. This landmark presentation gives, for the first time, a balanced account of those events leading to the cataclysmic decision, which forever changed the course of human destiny. Beginning in the frenzied final months of World War II, rocketing back and forth between Washington and Tokyo, Alamogordo and Tinian, Hiroshima careens along the rapidly escalating course of the war. Reaching behind the headlines, this story examines at close range the enormous pressures facing newly installed President Truman (Kenneth Welsh, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Royal Scandal) and his chiefs of staff as they wrestle with the unprecedented moral question—whether or not to drop the bomb. In Japan, where an entire culture revolves around principles of self-sacrifice and unquestioning allegiance, Hirohito and his proud Samurai generals face the moral dilemma of whether to surrender or fight on to the bitter end.

Underscoring the dramatic storyline, Hiroshima features a large international cast selected for their unique acting talents and resemblance to key historical figures. The film is conceived to flow seamlessly between documentary/newsreel footage and dramatizations of actual events as they transpired. Punctuated by real interviews of witnesses recounting their personal experiences of the war, Hiroshima creates a rich and moving dramatic tapestry.

PEARL HARBOR
DECEMBER 7th
This stirring docudrama outlines the events that occurred on the fateful day of December 7, 1941, in a powerful recreation of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The film originally depicted the unassuming U.S. soldiers and military personnel engaging in their everyday activities at the moment of invasion. However, due to the critical portrayal of the U.S.’s failure to be prepared for an attack, December 7th was edited at the government’s request. Despite this fact, the remaining documentary is a powerful illustration of this momentous day in American history—so much so that the film won an Academy Award.

RECOGNITION OF THE JAPANESE ZERO
Originally a training guide, created by the U.S. government and starring Ronald Reagan, this film was used to teach the Air Force how to differentiate a Japanese Zero from the U.S. attack plane, the P-40.