Minamata Mandala

Minamata Mandala

Japan / 2020 / 372 min. / NR

Filmed over 15 years, this epic three-part documentary by Kazuo Hara (The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On) chronicles the history of struggle for a community in southern Japan suffering from “Minamata disease” — a debilitating neurological disease caused by methylmercury poisoning from the consumption of fish contaminated by industrial wastewater — as they continue the decades-long battle for legal recognition and reparations from the government. Both a deeply humanizing portrait of resilience and a comprehensive history of one of the worst pollution-related tragedies in human history, Minamata Mandala gives voice to the many survivors, care providers, researchers, and supporters tirelessly fighting for visibility.

  • Director

    Kazuo Hara

  • Producer

    Sachiko Kobayashi

  • "Tremendously inspiring."

    — Ren Scateni, Hyperallergic

  • "Hara’s scope proves devastating in how it displays such a range of people who’ve been affected by the disease and in so many ways."

    — Clayton Dillard, Slate

  • "Many of those suffering from Minamata disease will never see justice, but continue to fight and protest as part of an ongoing collective struggle that sadly must extend beyond one lifetime. MINAMATA MANDALA encapsulates this unwieldy spectrum of emotion with a casual elegance and approachable form, superficially daunting, but in actuality, universally compelling."

    — M. G. Mailloux, In Review Online
Stills

Where to Watch

Anthology Film Archives

New York, NY

08/19/2023