Date of Award
Fall 1-2-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Film and Media Studies
First Advisor
Reiko Tahara
Second Advisor
Betty Yu
Academic Program Adviser
Andrew Lund
Abstract
One Stone’s Journey is a participatory, experiential thirty-minute documentary about uranium. By using an embroidered world map and appealing to participants’ senses—especially touch—the project explores the possibility of telling the story of radiation, which is invisible, intangible, and silent. Uranium is a radioactive material used by the United States in the development and production of the atomic bombs during the Manhattan Project. This year, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011 was on a scale comparable to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, and the threat of invisible radiation and the immense damage inflicted on Fukushima remain deeply etched in my mind. At the New York Public Library, every Friday afternoon, they host an event called "Friday Crafternoon," opening up a section of the library for craft enthusiasts. In a corner of Manhattan where the U.S. nuclear program was started and named after, I wanted to make an embroidered world map depicting the trajectory of uranium to create a comfortable space where people could talk freely about this topic. At Friday Crafternoon, I sit next to participants, show them my embroidered world map, trace the stone’s journey, and listen to their insights and thoughts on invisible radiation exposure and nuclear power. Dialogue with these people is at the heart of the project, and video clips about nuclear development, nuclear testing, radiation exposure, and the history of atomic energy are interwoven throughout the program to deepen the audience's understanding of the project.
Recommended Citation
Saito, Satoko, "One Stone's Journey" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1443
