Monthly Report: Zohar Dvir (August 2026)
I am writing this report on the flight back home from Japan, while the memories are still fresh and before I get back to my life in Hamburg. During the first days of August, I was busy getting ready for the H-AIR exhibition - book printing, video editing, and trying to summarise the work I had been doing during the past two months.
On August 6th, we attended the annual memorial ceremony for the A-Bomb victims. It reminded me of the memorial ceremonies I used to attend as a child in Israel. I thought about how we hold on to collective trauma and how it affects us as a society. The ceremony ended with the Hiroshima Peace Song. It reminded me of the interview I had with Mariko during the workshop. She said she sings it at the ceremony with the choir and that it always brings tears to her eyes. I wondered if she was part of the choir this year. Later that day we were watching lanterns floating on the river. People wrote their wishes for peace and released them on the river. It was beautiful.
I tried to do a few fun things before my time in Hiroshima was over - one more visit to the beach (there’s one in Hiroshima - not the nicest, but it does the job), one more museum visit, another park to explore, one more time at my favourite curry place (Kitchen Daddy!). A lot of last times. I even got a massage.
A few days before the festival started, I was interviewed by Japanese television (NHK) about my project. The crew followed me as I walked around the Peace Park and the city centre, and filmed me working on my film. The reporter interviewed me about my background, my research, and how Hiroshima affected my position. I feel very happy and appreciative that people care about my new project.
Link to watch: https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/nb-4000035610
Shortly after that, we started setting up the exhibition. We finally got to know the rest of the festival team who had come from Tokyo. The Aster Plaza came to life, and the festival week flew by. There were so many wonderful screenings, and many filmmakers attended the festival. I met some wonderful and talented directors from all over the world. Every night, there was a mixer event for the attendees, and afterwards we introduced our favourite bars to the filmmakers. Some of the people we met during our stay came to the exhibition - the bartenders, the workshop participants. It was a wonderful way to end our residency.
And just as it started, it ended. The festival attendees departed, and we said our goodbyes during a nice dinner with the team. And finally, it was time to leave our temporary home. Clara flew directly home and Bence and I continued to travel in Japan for another week. I feel like I will need some days to process this experience, but I can already tell that I am not the same person I was at the beginning of summer. The residency offered me time to focus on my project, and, on a personal level, to reflect on my life. Experiencing a new place, meeting all the people I have met, and forming new friendships and connections has been such a unique experience. I am so grateful to Hiroshima Animation Season for giving me this opportunity. I hope to come back with my film once it’s complete.
I definitely will never forget this summer.
