"Nos Voisins Lointains 3.11" - Screening Report Vol. 1
We'd love to introduce the screening report from France, by Kurumi Sugita (Based in Grenoble, France)
February 13 – Uzès Cinema
Uzès is a small town but a well-known and affluent area in the South of France. The late actor Jean-Louis Trintignant owned a wine estate nearby and was known to shop in Uzès from time to time. However, the surrounding area remains largely rural. Around 30 to 40 people from the Uzès region attended the screening.
Since the evening screening started at 8:30 PM, there was a small gathering beforehand with wine and light refreshments. It was our first screening in France, so I was a bit nervous, but everything went smoothly from a technical standpoint, which was a relief.
In France, post-screening discussions are referred to as "débat" rather than "after-talks." The discussion primarily focused on the issue of radioactive contamination in France. There was also considerable interest in health concerns, including the increasing cancer rates among young people. The conversation expanded to broader issues such as the impact of processed foods, environmental pollution, and the presence of harmful chemicals in everyday life.
February 15 – Montpellier
After a one-day break, the next screening was held in Montpellier, the capital of Hérault in southern France. With a population of around 300,000, Montpellier is a relatively large city by French standards, as France is not as centralized as Japan. Only three cities—Paris, Marseille, and Lyon—have populations exceeding one million. In comparison, Grenoble, where I live, has around 160,000 residents.
Unlike the Uzès screening, which was a public event, this was a private screening organized by a local civic group for its members. The venue was a small room packed to capacity. As is customary, attendees brought homemade food, and we enjoyed a shared lunch with wine before the screening.
During the film, I could feel the intense concentration of the audience. When scenes showed statistics on causes of death in Claudia Peterson’s family or the number of nuclear tests conducted in Nevada, audible reactions such as "Ohhh" and even exclamations like "Damn it!" were heard. Despite these moments, their focus never wavered. Even the end credits, which featured a long list of Japanese text that would have been incomprehensible to French viewers, were watched attentively. When the film finally ended, I could hear the audience exhale deeply—it was clear they had been holding their breath throughout. The applause that followed was truly gratifying.
Due to the small venue, the post-screening discussion felt intimate, with everyone seated close together for a face-to-face conversation.
Once again, the topic of chemical pollution was widely discussed. In addition to the dangers of industrial pollutants, the conversation touched on government involvement and the influence of corporate lobbying. Among the audience was a researcher who had studied the victims of French nuclear testing in French Polynesia. They shared alarming details about the severe contamination that persists in the region to this day.
(A screening will be held on Saturday, March 22, at 7:00 PM French time at Maison des Associations, Isère, France. For more details, please check the event calendar.)
Next Screening in France – March 22
The next French screening will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Maison des Associations (6 Rue Berthe de Boissieux, 38000 Grenoble). The event is organized by Nos Voisins Lointains 3.11 and Sortir du Nucléaire Isère.
For more details, please visit our website:
🔗 https://nosvoisinslointains311.home.blog/film-retombees-silencieuses/
