Veronica persica balloon

Veronica Persica Balloon is a poetic short film that explores the impact of war through two interconnected lenses: the manipulation of young girls during World War II and the mutation of nature caused by nuclear fallout.

The film contrasts the story of Fu-Go balloon bombs—assembled by female students as part of Japan’s wartime labor—with the genetic mutation of the veronica persica flower near Hiroshima, studied by scientists after the atomic bombing. Though these findings revealed increased mutation rates near the hypocentre, the research was suppressed internationally to preserve postwar political narratives.

Guided by the questions, "How do national manipulation and cultural mutation sustain war?" and "How does warfare-induced genetic mutation affect future generations?", Hiroi invites viewers to reflect on the long-term, often hidden consequences of conflict—on both people and the environment.
 

Concept, Research and Development: Kumi Hiroi

Curator: Natalia Sudova Special thanks to Kaori Iida (Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI), Yuriko Tsukamoto (The defunct Imperial Japanese Army Noborito Laboratory Museum for Education in Peace), Arirang Bunko