Perhaps it was the weather on that cold November day in Tohoku that accentuated the warmth of her personality. As we sat around Mrs. Fukuoka’s dining table, enjoying her hospitality and generous spirit, we knew she was a special woman.

Those who have had the privilege of hearing her story are also agreeing with us. As of this date, “Finding Beauty in the Rubble”, the short we filmed that day about Mrs. Fukuoka’s tragic clash with the 2011 tsunami that took her house and much of her belongings, has been accepted to 7 film festivals and several award nominations. The film has been accepted to:

• Justice Film Festival (Chicago)
• New Media Film Festival (Los Angeles)
• JP-2 Interfaith Film Festival (Miami)
• DC Shorts (Washington DC)
• Accolade Global Film Competition (Online)
• Pan Pacific Film Festival (Los Angeles)
• Ocktober Film Festival (New York)

In addition, the film has been nominated for Best Short Documentary by the Pan Pacific Film Festival, selected to play in select theatres nation-wide (America) as part of the DC Shorts promotion, and has won an Award of Merit from the Accolade Global Film Competition.

We had the chance to thank Mrs. Fukuoka in person recently by hosting a screening of the film for her, her family and friends at Takayama by the Sea, a chapel only a few minutes from her house. 30 people came to help celebrate the success of the film and meet the woman who made it successful. We were able to connect her and her friends with many of the Christians living in her community.

It was heartwarming to see the response of Mrs. Fukuoka and her husband who had not yet viewed the film online. We especially enjoyed their reaction when they heard that some 200,000-300,000 people would view the film in the previews before feature films in the United States as a special selection of the DC Shorts competition.

We continue to pray that this little film has “legs”: to give us credibility in the industry as we prepare to produce “2 Criminals” in the near future, and to bless the people of Japan and especially Tohoku with a message of hope.

If you have not yet seen the film and have 4 minutes to spare, you can watch it now.