All of Our Heartbeats are Connected Through Exploding Stars, Dir. Jennifer Rainsford, Sweden 2022, Japanese and English with English subtitles, 77mins.

March 11, 2011. First, the largest earthquake in Japan's modern history and then, thirty minutes later, dark tsunami waves roar in over the coast of North-Eastern Japan. As the water retreats from land it drags cars, homes and lives out into the sea.

ALL OF OUR HEARTBEATS ARE CONNECTED THROUGH EXPLODING STARS is a staggering odyssey told as a philosophical and emotional essay on grief and regeneration. The film moves from the shores of Japan to the islands of Hawaii, via rarely seen places thousands of meters below sea level. We meet Satoko, a young woman who struggles with overcoming her trauma from the disaster and finds a way out of the darkness when falling in love; Yasu, who has done over 100 dives in search for his lost wife; Sachiko, who keeps writing letters to her husband that was taken by the wave. Meanwhile on the other side of the ocean, in the Hawaiian island of Kaho’olawe a group of volunteers are gathering to clean the beach from Japanese tsunami debris floating in from the Ocean, all while sharing stories of the afterlife.

To the dramatic tones of composer Teho Teardo’s music, we go on a multi scale-poetic-narrative, following the movements of ocean currents across the Pacific Ocean, to tell the stories of how humans and nature rebuild from trauma.

(Please be aware that alcohol will be served at the event; if you'd like to partake, you may be asked to present a valid ID.)