In the name of the emperor

Description

This is the only American documentary film to examine the Rape of Nanjing, December 13, 1937, when the Japanese Imperial troops marched into this city in China. In just six weeks they murdered 300,000 civilians, and systematically raped and killed thousands of women. Today, the Japanese government continues to deny it ever happened. In the Name of the Emperor is a monument to the suffering of the Chinese at the hands of the Japanese during World War II. It weaves together rare footage of the Japanese occupation, diary entries from Americans who were there, and the eye witness accounts of surviving Japanese soldiers. Especially unique is the newly discovered film footage of the massacre shot by John McGee, an American missionary who was living in Nanjing. This footage was part of the testimony at the war crimes trial, but has never been seen until now. The Nanjing Massacre was the impetus for the Japanese system of "comfort stations" or military brothels in occupied territories to stem the tide of venereal disease. Included is an interview with a Korean "comfort women who speaks openly about her sexual servitude. These war crimes continues to disrupt diplomatic relations between Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Taiwan to this day. The horrors captured in this ground breaking documentary reminds us of the exploitation and suffering of women, and indeed all civilians during war time. There are frightening parallels to the atrocities committed in Bosnia and Rwanda today.

Runtime

51 min

Series

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

1997

Database

Alexander Street

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