Vertigo Releasing has shared a UK poster and trailer for the Andrew Levitas-directed drama Minamata. Based on Aileen Mioko Smith and Eugene Smith’s book of the same name, the film stars Johnny Depp as celebrated war photographer W. Eugene Smith, who documented the devastating effects of mercury poisoning in the titular Japanese coastal city; take a look here…
New York, 1971. Following his celebrated days as one of the most revered photojournalists of World War II, W. Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp) has become a recluse, disconnected from society and his career. But a secret commission from Life magazine editor Robert Hayes (Bill Nighy) sends him to the Japanese coastal city of Minamata, which has been ravaged by mercury poisoning; the result of decades of gross industrial negligence by the country’s Chisso Corporation.
There, Smith immerses himself in the community, documenting their efforts to live with Minamata Disease and their passionate campaign to achieve recognition from Chisso and the Japanese government. Armed with only his trusted camera, Smith’s images from the toxic village give the disaster a heartbreaking human dimension, and his initial assignment turns into a life-changing experience.
Minamata is set for release in the UK on August 13th.