In March 2011, Japan was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, with the devastating tsunami that followed causing a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power station that sent ripples of discontent throughout the country. Director Iwai Shunji's Friends after 3.11 (2011) is a deeply personal documentary which uses the statements of some of his closest friends to express the views of a society in a state of political despondency.

The Hirata are a typical family residing in picturesque Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture. Their lives are thrown in chaos when an earthquake strikes and causes a nearby nuclear power plant to explode. They must evacuate their home.