Nobuteru Uchida hopes his film on Japan's struggle to recover from the calamity of March 2011 will prompt dialogue and promote tolerance, since public opinion on the risks of low-level radiation remains divided.
"I wanted to make a film that has a message — which is we can't move forward without understanding our differences and respecting each other," the 40-year-old director said in an interview after "Odayaka" was shown at the annual Tribeca Film Festival, marking its North American premiere.
"Some people think it is okay and there are other people who are worried about radiation levels. I am completely fine if those people of differing opinions can coexist, sort of accept each other, and come together as a society," he said.