Earlier this year I visited Nagasaki in Japan, and it was an incredibly profound experience. I visited the peace park and statue, as well as the atomic museum and memorial wall. I also walked through the hypocenter park, and as I pulled out my phone to take a photo of the monument in this location, I noticed the time. 11:02am. Exactly the time that the atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki, instantly devastating the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Initially, it was thought that no vegetation would grow at the hypocenter for decades. But just a month later, plants began reappearing. Today, Hypocenter Park is filled with greenery and nature. I remember standing there, taking it all in, and thinking to myself that it doesn’t matter what humans do to this planet. The earth will always be able to heal itself.
I think this is why this animated short film moved me so deeply. From the opening moments, you could assume that the titular resilience is going to be of humans overcoming the horrors of war. Instead, filmmaker Yunie Choi tips those assumptions on their head mere frames later. The resilience of this film is not of us. It’s the world coming back to life and restoring itself from the savagery we’ve inflicted upon it. It’s a resilience this planet has proven to be capable of many times in the past. I have no doubt that it will do so again after we humans are gone.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
