Film to show Ishinomaki residents’ spirit1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAn American man who helped popularize manga in the United States has gone behind the camera to make a film about Ishinomaki residents’ efforts to help their city rebound from the March 11 disaster.
Stuart Levy, the founder and chief executive officer of Chuo Ward, Tokyo-based company TokyoPop, visited Ishinomaki as a volunteer in late March to distribute cooked meals to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami.
There he met Manabu Endo, chief director of a nonprofit organization that supports disaster victims. After learning Levy had previously shot a documentary film, Endo asked him to make a movie that showed Ishinomaki residents resolutely trying to rebuild the city.
But Levy, 43, did not accept the invitation right away. Instead, he returned to Tokyo because he thought disaster victims might be offended or embarrassed if he asked them to speak on camera about their hardships.
