Show of the week: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
This 2012 Oscar nominee documents the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011.
This short documentary, a 2012 Oscar nominee, opens with dramatic amateur footage of the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011, plus heartrending interviews with survivors who lost loved ones and virtually everything they owned. Yet as the film follows the first few weeks of agonizing recovery in one of the hardest-hit areas, director Lucy Walker gracefully redirects focus to the cherry blossoms that not only herald the arrival of spring but serve as cogent symbols of the resilience of the Japanese people. Monday, July 16, at 10 p.m., HBO
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published