Stay far from battlefield, Japanese director warns at Venice
Shinya Tsukamoto's new film follows a Vietnam veteran whose life was haunted by the violence he witnessed and took part in.
Venice, Italy – Modern warfare continues to inflict suffering on victims, while those who wage war are likely to "commit horrifying acts," according to Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto. In his Vietnam War film presented at the Venice Film Festival, Tsukamoto delves into the true story of Allen Nelson, a Black U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam in 1966 and was forever haunted by the atrocities he witnessed and perpetrated.
The film, titled "Neruson-san, Anata wa Hito o Koroshimashita Ka?" or "Mr. Nelson, Did you Kill People?", premiered on September 4th at the festival. Tsukamoto, who previously attended Venice in 2018 with his pacifist samurai film "Killing," felt an urgent need to bring Nelson's experience to the screen after learning about his struggles with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and his lifelong commitment to raising awareness about the horrors of war.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
