Atomic People on SBS and SBS on Demand – Atomic People explores the human fallout from the first and last atomic bombs used in an act of war.
The decision by the United States to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese cities – Hiroshima, on August 6th, 1945, and Nagasaki three days later, was one of the most momentous and destructive in world history. The bomb known as ‘Little Boy’ that decimated Hiroshima was 2,000 times more powerful than any bomb before, instantly killing approximately 80,000 of the city’s 350,000 residents.
By the end of the year, the death toll would rise to 140,000 as initial survivors succumbed to illnesses connected to radiation exposure.
In Nagasaki, where approximately 40,000 were killed instantly, the number would rise to 74,000 by the end of the year.
Now, nearly eighty years later, this unique film gathers the testimony of some of the last ‘Hibakusha’ – survivors of the two atomic bombs – before their voices are lost forever. With an average age of 85, most Hibakusha were children when the bombs were dropped.
Combining their personal accounts with archive footage, ‘Atomic People’ features a significant number of voices from this shrinking group – the only people left on Earth to have survived a nuclear bomb – whilst exploring how their experiences continue to affect them to this day.
*Airing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic People on SBS and SBS on Demand – Premiere / Sunday 3 August at 5.40pm (1 Part)
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