Documentary film, directed by Julien Campet.
Co-produced by viàOccitanie and Via Découvertes Films, with the support of the CNC, Centre National du cinéma et de l’image animée.
On March 11, 2011, the northeast of Japan was ravaged by a terrible tsunami. When the earthquake occurs, the sea swells, developing a huge mass of water that moves in waves to the coast. A gigantic wave is then formed, losing speed but gaining amplitude, and comes crashing on the shore with a height that can reach more than 20 meters.
Kamaishi was one of the most severely affected coastal cities. The damage was terrible on the way out and even worse on the way back. When the water recedes, it carries with it thousands of debris including boats, houses, cars and bodies caught in its path.
Kamaishi was “the city of fishing, metal and rugby” and it is rebuilding itself thanks to rugby. At the heart of this rebirth is Robert Verdier, a Frenchman from Comminges. Living in Japan for several years, he launched the Kamaishi Initiative and mobilized several companies and rugby lovers in the Toulouse region.
In the days following the tsunami, the first help to arrive in the devastated area was from the Occitan oval.
The film tells the story of the reconstruction of Kamaishi, the Japanese port city destroyed by the 2011 tsunami, which managed to host several World Cup matches after the tragedy.
Despite the trauma, the difficulties and the differences in the choices made by the authorities, the people of Kamaishi have united to carry the project to the end. A success, synonymous with a new start in a land to which they are deeply attached.