The speakers will be Erika Toh and Nick Ut. (Ut is joining this event online.)
One of the most influential photos of the 20th century was "Napalm Girl," which showed nine-year-old Kim Phúc screaming in agony and fleeing from an attack in South Vietnam on June 8, 1972. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo by then 21-year-old Associated Press photographer Nick Ut has become a symbol of anti-war protests, but few people know the story of the aftermath.
Fifty Years of 'Napalm Girl' (『「ナパーム弾の少女」五〇年の物語』) by E
rika Toh is an attempt to shed light on what happened to Kim Phúc through interviews and observations with her and those who know her. These include her family; the photographer; other on-the-scene journalists; American Vietnam War veterans; the officials of Gander International Airport, where she sought asylum in Canada; and a dermatologist who treated her. The book is based on reporting Toh conducted over the past decade, including when she was the Los Angeles bureau chief of Asahi Shimbun from 2011 to 2014. It explores the lengths the famous war victim went through to restore her own life, up to the final burn treatment she has received recently in Miami, and the challenges she overcame to flee government control.
In her talk, Erika Toh will focus on the following questions: Why is Kim Phúc's aftermath not well-known despite the fame of the photo? Why have some veterans responded to her negatively, even though many of them have praised her? How meaningful is it that the photographer who captured the moment was Vietnamese, not American? Considering journalistic ethics versus newsworthiness, what are the pros and cons of publishing sensitive photographs of minors and others from wars and other tragedies?
Toh is a veteran journalist, moderator, and podcaster with almost 30 years of experience at the Asahi Shimbun. She has reported on topics including online defamation and the responsibility of social media; labor issues surrounding gig workers and independent contractors; gender equality in the workplace; immigration issues, and Hollywood.
She is an expert in the U.S. film industry and writes a regular feature column called "Cinemania Report," published in the Asahi Shimbun Digital. She is also the author of “なぜメリル・ストリープはトランプに噛みつき、オリバー・ストーンは期待するのか ハリウッドからアメリカが見える”(Why Meryl Streep Snaps at Trump and Why Oliver Stone has High Expectations of Him)(Gentosha, 2017). A Kyoto native, she enjoys touring historical sites. Follow her on Twitter @erika_asahi
Doors open at 6:00 pm. Dinner is served from 6:15 pm. The presentation starts from 7:15 pm.
Menu: Bread/ Seasonal Salad/ Roasted Chicken in its Broth Sauce with Spring Vegetables/ Pear Mousse with Caramel Sauce/ Coffee or Tea with One Drink.
Book Break charges are 3,000 yen/ 4,000 yen (members/ non-members) per person. FCCJ members can sign up at the reception desk. Reservations cancelled less than 72 hours in advance will be charged in full. Non-members can reserve at the reception desk by email (front@fccj.or.jp). Payment is in advance till Friday, March 10th, 2023. No refund is available unless the event is cancelled by FCCJ.
Online attendance (via Zoom) is available at 550 yen per person. Please indicate the intention to attend online when signing up. Details on how to join online will be sent to individual emails after their reservations are confirmed.
Attendees with food restriction should inform the reception desk (front@fccj.or.jp) three days before the event.
We kindly ask for your cooperation with Covid-19 prevention measures at the reception and to wear a mask in the premises. Thank you.
(The talk will be in Japanese with English interpretation)
Library, Archives & Workroom Committee