Junod will be Co-Presenter of BIFF Youth Film Workshop

The Youth Film Workshop is a program for participating schools throughout The Bahamas to learn the fundamentals of making a film in a day. Annually, BIFF takes filmmaking into the schools with a program designed to introduce the youth to the art of filmmaking.  During these sessions, students selected from private and public schools are given instructions in the art of making films. Instructions in the history of filmmaking, genres, formats are presented. Students are taught how to produce a film from an initial idea, to a script and finally to the screen. To assist in this process, students discussed their favorite films and actors, studied short films and clips from the previous BIFF Youth Film Workshops. This years topic is on Health and Wellness and will be shown to the public, Saturday, December 16, 2017

Leslie Vanderpoole and Bruno Chatelin commented "We liked the message of JUNOD, the story of this doctor who saved thousands of people after Hiroshima and found the film was a perfect fit for the theme of the youth Film Workshop and we decided to share it with the audience and screen the animation December 16."

The film will be announced ahead of the screenings from  THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM: NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SECTION Sponsored by Backstage and filmfestivals.com

BIFF has held Spirit of Freedom as one of its themed categories since it's very first festival.  Each film in this program explores the potential of the human spirit and how freedom affects - or is absent from - our lives. 

ABOUT JUNOD

JUNOD by Shinichiro Kimura – Japan 76 minutes          Trailer

The film received the Animation that Matters Award in Cannes 2017 during a ceremony at Animation Day in Cannes, May 23rd.

A Swiss doctor arranged for the delivery of 15 tons of medicine and medical supplies to Hiroshima just after the atomic bomb was dropped on the city and personally treated the victims himself. That benefactor was Marcel Junod, head of the ICRC delegation in Japan. There is a monument to Dr. Junod in a corner of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, but, unfortunately, few people are aware of his selfless achievements.

As an ICRC delegate, Dr. Junod plunged ahead through a war-torn era and saved many precious lives without regard to nationality or race. Armed with know-how, courage, the ability to negotiate and, most of all, a love for humanity, he got through many hopeless situations. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the idea for the Red Cross. We want to produce an animated film that will portray selfless love – the spirit of the Red Cross which Dr. Junod embodied – and his accomplishments and send from Hiroshima a “gift of love” like that of Dr. Junod to as many people as possible.

The “Junod” Animation Production Committee will be attending the festival and introducing the film, Ms Shizuko Tsuya in attendance.