Book Title: broken hallelujah
Photographer/s: Akemi Ohara
Place of publication: Japan
Year of publication: n/a
Publisher: Self Published
Dimensions of book : 68 x 155 mm
Edition size: n/a
Binding, paper & printing details: Plastic cover, staple bound, colour prints on uncoated paper
Number of pages: 42
Number of pictures: 29
Designer: Akemi Ohara
Editor: Akemi Ohara
Printer: n/a
ISBN: n/a
Retail price: n/a
Where to buy; Stores, distributors URLs: n/a
Link/s to existing book reviews: n/a
Summary of project:
“Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah”, I travelled to Israel in June,
- Cohen’s biblical anecdotes inspired me to seek better self-awareness and personal expression.
I took photographs on film but they were all damaged by the x-rays at the airport.
An unpleasant wave-like pattern scarred all the pictures I made.
I hid all these photographs in my room and showed nobody.
Three years later, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck.
I was 10 miles away when the earthquake happened. I returned home by car and the journey took a lot longer than usual. I learnt of the devastation from news on the radio.
A few days later, radioactivity began to leak from the nuclear power plant in the Fukushima Prefecture where I lived.
Everyone feared the invisible radioactivity.
I looked at the map indicating affected areas circulating the nuclear power plant.
I was reminded of my damaged photographs.
Shown here is a series of photographs I took of a baptism in the Jordan River.
I am praying that the ground and the sea in my hometown washes as soon as possible and are purified.
I hope all the people can return.”
Akemi Ohara