Introduction

Hiroshima is a BBC docudrama that premiered as a television special on 05 August 2005, marking the eve of the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

It is also known as Hiroshima: BBC History of World War II and Hiroshima: The First Weapon of Mass Destruction.

The programme was aired on the Discovery Channel and BBC America in the US. The documentary features historical reenactments using firsthand eyewitness accounts and computer-generated imagery of the explosion.

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Outline

The documentary recounts the world’s first nuclear attack and examines the repercussions. Covering a three-week period from the Trinity test to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the programme chronicles America’s political gamble and the planning for the momentous event. Archival film, dramatizations, and special effects depict what occurred aboard the Enola Gay and inside the nuclear blast.

Eyewitness Interviews

Six Japanese survivors are interviewed:

1. Kinuko Laskey: Aa nurse in a communications hospital;
2. Morio Ozaki: An army cadet;
3. Teruko Fujii: A 16-year-old tram driver;
4. Thomas Takashi Tanemori: An eight-year-old schoolboy;
5. Dr. Shuntaro Hida: A doctor at a military hospital; and
6. Akiko Takakura: A 17-year-old city bank clerk.

From the US the interviewees are:

1. Paul Tibbets: The commanding officer and pilot of the Enola Gay;
2. Theodore Van Kirk: The navigator of the aircraft;
3. Morris R. Jeppson: The weapon test officer; and
4. Russell Gackenbach: The navigator of the accompanying photographic aircraft ‘Necessary Evil’.

White House Map Room Duty Officer George Elsey is interviewed as an eyewitness to the Potsdam Conference.

Trivia

• The film won an Emmy and three BAFTA awards in 2006.
• The Sound Effects were scary for listeners.

Production & Filming Details

• Narrator(s): John Hurt.
• Director(s): Paul Wilmhurst.
• Producer(s): Matthew Barrett, Gavin Rees, Jim Spencer, Christine Whittaker, and Paul Wilmhurst.
• Writer(s): Paul Wilmhurst.
• Music: Daniel Pemberton.
• Cinematography: Graham Smith.
• Editor(s): Luke Dunkley and Horacio Quiero.
• Production: BBC.
• Distributor(s): BBC One, BBC America, and Discovery Channel.
• Release Date: 05 August 2005.
• Running time: 89/94 minutes.
• Rating: 12.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

Video Link