HYDE PARK, NY — The Pare Lorentz Film Center at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Gillespie Forum will host a screening of the award-winning documentary film "The Vow from Hiroshima" at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 11 in the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home.

A question-and-answer session with filmmakers  Susan Strickler and Mitchie Takeuchi will follow the screening. 

This is a free public event, but registration is required. Visit fdrlibrary.org to register.

Synopsis:

"The Vow from Hiroshima" is a poignant documentary that delves into the life of Setsuko Thurlow, a remarkable survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. At just 13 years old when the bomb devastated her city in 1945, Setsuko's harrowing experience is vividly captured in this intimate portrait. The film chronicles her enduring friendship with second-generation survivor Mitchie Takeuchi, offering a moving narrative of resilience and determination.

Setsuko's story is one of tragedy and triumph, as she recalls being pulled from a burning building after the bomb's impact, unable to save her 27 classmates who perished in the flames. This pivotal moment shaped her lifelong commitment to ensuring that no one else would suffer the same horrific fate.

Through decades of tireless activism, Setsuko's journey culminates in a powerful milestone -- the realization of her dream with the establishment of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. Setsuko made the acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway. 

Mitchie Takeuchi is originally from Hiroshima and is a longtime New York City resident. She has been a social entrepreneur, a writer and a filmmaker. Her grandfather, Dr. Ken Takeuchi, was the director of the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroshima when the city was leveled by the first use of an atomic bomb—and he and her mother, Takako, survived.

Wanting to share what really happened under the mushroom cloud, Mitchie produced and co-wrote "The Vow From Hiroshima," interweaving the life story of Hiroshima survivor and activist Setsuko Thurlow, intergenerational activism and the historic negotiations of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. After the film had a successful year-long theatrical run in 19 cities in Japan, Mitchie received the 2021 Japan Film Renaissance Conference Peace Film Award. 

For questions, call Cliff Laube at 845/486-7745.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Designed by Franklin Roosevelt and dedicated on June 30, 1941, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is the nation's first presidential library and the only one used by a sitting president. Administered by the National Archives and Records Administration since 1941, the Library preserves and makes accessible to the American people the records of FDR's presidency. The Roosevelt Library's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the lives and times of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and their continuing impact on contemporary life. This work is carried out through the Library's archives and research room, museum collections and exhibitions, innovative educational programs, and engaging public programming. For more information about the library or its programs, call 800/337-8474 or visit www.fdrlibrary.org.