Videos

We captured the reality that confronts the people affected by leprosy all over the world on camera.
People who are isolating themselves from society in fear of discrimination
People recovered from leprosy who are helping to prevent the spread of the disease…
Each life is different, each life is unique.

Videos

VOL.15

Encountering Persons Affected by Leprosy

Video: 32 minutes 23 seconds

A Japanese reporter, Hanae, aged 22, traveled to communities of those affected by leprosy. “I know almost nothing about leprosy” were her initial words. Unequipped with knowledge, she continually experienced surprise, bewilderment and worry while in the field. She continued her coverage repeatedly for two and a half years since 2014, coming face to face with persons affected by leprosy with a sincere attitude. We turned our camera on the people she met and their determination to live the best they can.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Madoka Okuda / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa, Hiroyuki Nakasawa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter・Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.14

The Vatican

To live as a human being

Video: 28 minutes 19 seconds

When reading the Old Testament, one finds references to leprosy in which people are called "lepers" or “unclean” (Levi 13: 45~46). They were not treated as “human beings” and were unconditionally discriminated against throughout the ages and in all countries. In order never to repeat this tragic history, a group of persons affected by leprosy visited the Vatican City, the headquarter of the Roman Catholic Church, to appeal in person for the elimination of discrimination.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Kie Matsuyama / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Paola Bruno / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.13

Brazil

Identifying hidden cases in Brazil: the only country yet to eliminate leprosy

Video: 30 minutes 16 seconds

Brazil is the only country in the world where leprosy has yet to be eliminated. In 2015, registered cases numbered 20,702, indicating that Brazil was nearing the goal. But a large problem stood in the way — “hidden” patients who were not reflected in this number. What is the real situation in the last country that has yet to achieve elimination? We turned our camera on the frontline efforts there.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Madoka Okuda / Research : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa, Yuta Shinohara / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Hiroyuki Kamakura, Leonard YAMAGUCHI, Bari Alexandre / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter,Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.12

India Part Two

Future Smiles through SILF

Video: 34 minutes 32 seconds

The people affected by leprosy in India have lost all that they had ever possessed. They live quietly together in the forgotten corners of society. Having lost family, a hometown, education and employment, they are left only with a life of begging. Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation are working to create a world where they would no longer have to beg. With the help of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (SILF), one of their activities is to help them move from a “begging life” to a “working life.” We turned our camera on those people affected by leprosy who have taken a new step forward.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Madoka Okuda / Research : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Sushil Doval, Arnimesh Kumar / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.11

India Part One

The Reality of Begging in India

Video: 32 minutes 22 seconds

The scorching sun of India mercilessly beat down on these people on trolleys. Sitting in a way to make their wounds more noticeable, they hold out their hands to passersby. People affected by leprosy in India have no other way to survive but to beg. What are the thoughts that reside in their minds as the days pass by? We turned our camera on their challenging reality during three days of up-close coverage.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Madoka Okuda / Research : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Sushil Doval, Arnimesh Kumar / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.10

Ethiopia

Taking the First Step

Video: 29 minutes 45 seconds

ENAPAL is an organization in Ethiopia of people who have recovered from leprosy. ENAPAL’s primary focus is employment support through microcredits. An increasing number of people who have recovered from leprosy now work and are becoming re-integrated into society. Many, however, still continue to live in poverty without the opportunity to work. We turned our camera on their struggle to return to society.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Kie Matsuyama / Research : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Fumiyuki Kimino, Toru Nishi / Video Engineer : Takayuki Fujieda, Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Keitaro Ono / Location Coordinator : Momoko Nishiyama, Rie Fuji / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.9

Morocco

The Light and the Dark of Leprosy Elimination

Video: 29 minutes 28 seconds

With policies that are very thorough by international standards, Morocco has succeeded in dramatically reducing the number of patients. However, patients and those who have recovered remain isolated, segregated from family and community. Prejudice and discrimination against leprosy still exist. We turned our camera on the complexity of their situation.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Madoka Okuda / Research : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Keitaro Ono / Location Coordinator : NOVAJIKA,S.A., Mariona Carrera, Jordi Juste, Aya Arimoto, Khalid Boulasri, Jalal Ibouyen, Khalid Bouslamti / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.8

Portugal / Spain

Keep Patients’ Memories Alive

Video: 28 minutes 17 seconds

Portugal and Spain hardly see new cases of leprosy today. The people affected by leprosy are aging and the number of survivors continues to decline as the years go by. Leprosaria in these countries are beginning to fulfill different roles as memories of leprosy fades away. We turned our camera on the leprosarium in Portugal and in Spain.

Digest: 1 minute 00 seconds

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Rei Hamada, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : (Spain) NOVAJIKA,S.A., Jordi Juste, Mariona Carrera, Aya Arimoto (Portugal) Yumiko Hori, Midori Nakamura, Masafumi Ogura / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.7

Switzerland

Geneva, Center of World Diplomacy A Second Front for Changing the World

Video: 27 minutes 7 seconds

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa who has visited leprosy hospitals and leprosaria in about 70 countries over the past 50 years has “another special field” to visit every year. That is Geneva, the hub of many international organizations. We turned our camera on Mr. Sasakawa, whose efforts are devoted to solving issues surrounding leprosy, in Geneva, a city of world diplomacy where health ministers of the world and WHO partners gather together.

Digest: 1 minute 00 seconds

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Rei Hamada, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Hiromi Kimura, Misako Hori / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.6

Japan

THINK LEPROSY NOW in Japan

Video: 31 minutes 49 seconds

1718 people affected by leprosy reside at 13 national leprosaria in Japan as of 2014. Their average age is 83.9. As the number of residents declines year by year, the history of this tragedy is fading from public memory. “Global Appeal 2015,” held in Japan, aimed to correct the prevailing understanding of leprosy. Through the camera lens, we searched for the meaning of “THINK LEPROSY NOW”.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Madoka Okuda, Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa, Takayuki Fujieda / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Yuji Koroishi / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.5

Romania

A village erased from the maps

Video: 33 minutes 30 seconds

Romania has not had a single case of leprosy for the past twenty years. Leprosy is considered a disease of the past, and many people do not even know what it is. However, contrary to reality, there are still people affected by leprosy. They have suffered long years of discrimination, living in dark and gloomy shadows. We turned our camera on the only facility for leprosy-affected people in Romania, the Tichilesti leprosarium.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Yuji Koroishi / Location Coordinator : Olivia BERGHIANU, Andrei BERGHIANU / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.4

India Delhi

Light Up the Hearts of the People Affected by Leprosy in Delhi

Video: 32 minutes 23 seconds

India has the highest incidence of leprosy in the world. Every year, 130,000 new cases are reported, and those cured now total 12 million. The majority of them are excluded from society. Supporting each other, they live in leprosy villages, known as colonies. What are their thoughts and feelings as they live in seclusion? We took our camera to the largest colony in India, near Delhi.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta Watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Sushil Doval, Arnimesh Kumar / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.3

Brazil

Cries Out The only country where leprosy is not yet eliminated

Video: 33 minutes 51 seconds

“Elimination” of leprosy is defined by the World Health Organization as less than 1 case per 10,000 population. Most countries have achieved elimination with the exception of Brazil. We took our camera there to show the plight of people affected by leprosy—people who have been abandoned in the shadows of development—to find the answer to the problems in Brazil.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Naoto Tanaka, Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Research : Nobuhide Abe / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama, Yuta watanabe / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Hiroyuki Kamakura, Leonard Yamaguchi / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Yuka Nukina / Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.2

Nepal

Exploring the Border Regions of Nepal

Video: 28 minutes 5 seconds

Nepal is a country where approximately 80% of land is covered by mountain ranges such as the Himalayas. In areas with poor access to medical services and transportation, the prevalence of leprosy tends to be high. High concentration of patients is also seen along the Indian border. This footage captures the plight of the people affected by leprosy who live in dust-covered remote areas.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
General Director : Naohiro Asano / Director : Eiji Ishii / Producer : Naohiro Asano, Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Madoka Okuda, Kie Matsuyama / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi, Fumiyuki Kimino / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimiz / Location Coordinator : Noriko Kasugayama, Raghunath Paudel, Pasang Lama / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Matthew Churchill / Reporter, Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.

VOL.1

Indonesia

A look at the harsh reality facing the island nation.

Video: 31minutes 49 seconds

Indonesia is the world’s largest island nation with 17,000 islands. In many of the islands, doctors and nurses are in absolute scarcity and the work of finding patients and treating them is lagging behind. There are also many people affected by leprosy—both those under treatment and those who have been cured—who are suffering from discrimination. This documentary focuses on the Island of Papua, which is known to have a particularly large number of patients.

Digest: 1 minute 01 second

Staff Credits
Director : Naohiro Asano / Producer : Tomoko Tomita / General Producer : Naoto Tanaka / Associate Producer : Tamaki Tsuda / Assistant Director : Kie Matsuyama / Cinematographer : Toru Nishi / Video Engineer : Haruhiko Iwasa / Sound Designer : Kozo Hosomi / Online Editor : Shigeru Yoneyama / Sound Engineer : Nobuyuki Shimizu / Location Coordinator : Kazuko Suwentra, Chieko Maeda / Script Advisor : Kanae Hirano, Matthew Churchill / Narrator(Japanese) : Hanae / Narrator(English) : Deirdre Merrell-ikeda
Film Production : TV MAN UNION,INC.