Sennan Asbestos Disaster (2017)

Sennan Asbestos Disaster 2017 / ニッポン国VS泉南石綿村 2017 / Nipponkoku vs Sennan Ishiwata Mura

A documentary in which Hara Kazuo, director of The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, covers the eight-year-long court proceedings of a lawsuit against the national government demanding restitution for wrongful injury from asbestos in the Sennen district of Osaka. By breathing asbestos into the lungs, lung cancer, and mesothelial tumors develop after a long incubation period. Despite understanding these health hazards, the government prioritized economic development and neglected to enact regulations as well as provide countermeasures. The documentary follows the activities of a team of lawyers who file a lawsuit on such grounds against the government and accompanies the investigation by one citizens' group member, Yuoka Kazuyoshi, whose family managed an asbestos factory, as it records their legal battles. (Source: JFDB) ~~ Release dates: Oct 7, 2017 (Festival) || Mar 10, 2018 (Cinema)