SAT | 25. 2. | 18:00
Director: TERUYA Toshiyuki
Cast: MISAKI Ayame, OKUDA Eiji, TSUTSUI Michitaka
2022
111 min
Film Festivals Awards
2018 Moscow International Film Festival
2018 Shanghai International Film Festival
2018 JAPAN CUTS, Audience Award
2018 Hawaii International Film Festival
Senkotsu – a ritual of bidding the deceased farewell by washing their bones and laying them back to the grave – is still practiced at the Okinawan isle of Aguni. With the ceremony, the notional baton of life is relayed from parents to children. Four years after the funeral, son Tsuyoshi and daughter Yûko are coming back home to their father to finally lay their beloved mother to rest. However, things look even bleaker than expected. The father has resumed drinking, the son’s marriage is falling apart, and the daughter is pregnant yet single. Do not expect a tragedy, however. Enter the relatives, the local gossipers, and the father of the child to be born. With him, an urban man, viewers can discover the rituals and traditions of Japan’s southernmost region. Although everyone has their troubles, the ritual brings the rifted family firmly together. It then provides the venue for a moving farewell to one life and the welcoming of another. The film is laced with crazy yet very humane humour.
Okinawa
Okinawa, the southernmost island of Japan, was an independent kingdom of Ryûkyû until the end of 19th century. However, its origin dates back to the Stone Age. Its distinctive culture combines elements of Japan, China, Korea and other Asian nations. In its Golden era, the kingdom was an important trading and diplomatic centre. But in 1879 Ryûkyû was annexed as a part of Japan. Since that time, traditional culture has been suppressed. However, its importance persists to this day. The original Okinawan language, Uchinaaguchi, is far different from standard Japanese. The original religion is a mixture of Shamanic, Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. And traditions based on respect for the dead, such as senkotsu, the washing of bones, have been preserved to this day. Okinawa is also known for the extreme longevity of its people. This is believed to be a result of Okinawan food culture and the influence of the spirit of "Yuimaru" (helping each other).
A tragedy for the islands was World War II, as many of Okinawa cultural heritage was destroyed. Nevertheless, Okinawa people are determined to preserve their traditions. One element of the cultural heritage is the Eisaa style of dance designed to honour the ancestors during the Obon festival.
© 2018 "Senkotsu" Production Committee
