NARAtive2010

LAST CHESTNUTS

Introduction

Two directors were selected by recommendation as a new creator active in the world, made the first NARAtive project.

Story

One day, one mother (Kaori Momoi) to be hospitalized in Tokyo arrives at Kashihara city, Nara. The reason she comes up to Nara is to find her son. But the only clues she has are her memories and some pictures in the digital camera which her son forgot in the hospital in Tokyo. After the long journey of finding her son, what his mother finds is nice friends, the beautiful nature of Nara, and her own deep love to her son. Suffering from the terminal cancer, she tries to find but misses him...
This is just a family love story in Kashihara, but the theme is universal.

Detail

Directed by: Zhao Ye (China)
Location: Kashihara City, Nara

[Staff]
Director: Zhao Ye
Writer: Zhao Ye
Producer: Naomi Kawase
Director of Photography: Hideyo Nakano
Lighting: Kosuke Yamamoto
Sound: Eiji Mori

[Cast]
Kaori Momoi
Setsuko Dodo
Shigeki Uda

Japan / 2010 / DVcam / 60 min / English subtitle/ Distributed by NIFF

Director

Zhao Ye

Zhao Ye was born in 1979 and graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 2004. In the same year, he directed a short animation film "Cai Wei-Weed Picker." In 2007 he directed the first long film "Ma Wo Jia" which was released in many film festivals, and also won a prize in China. In 2008 his second film "Jalainur" won Fiprescif Prize at the 13th Pusan International Film Festival. The film was also screened at Vancouver International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and so on.

History

2010

Nara International Film Festival 2010

Torino Film Festival(Italy)

Cinema Digital Seoul Film Festival (Korea)

Kansai : l‘ autre cinéma japonais (France)

Theatrical release in Kyoto and Osaka (Japan)

The Museum of Modern Art, New York Screened at "Naomi Kawase" 's retrospective exhibition (New York )

LOCATION

Kashihara City

Imai-cho is the last "Japanese town" left in Japan.There are 500 traditional townhouse miraculously remaining, and still thousand people live in. There are few tourists, and when walking in a town Feeling like where samurai will come out,you'll feel like you returned to the Middle Ages.

more

Movies

INORI

NARAtive2012

Pedro González-Rubio, the winner of the Golden SHIKA Award at the Nara International Film Festival 2010, directed "Inori," set in Kannogawa in Totsukawa Village, Nara. The Great Eastern Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the disastrous flooding in Totsukawa Village 120 years ago, and "Hojoki" (an essay wrtitten by Kamo no Chomei in the 13th century) which laments the transience of this world... Pedro received these incidents as being directly connected to himself and thus his journey began. As if following "Hojoki," Pedro conducted his camera like Kamo no Chomei put his writing brush on paper. In September 2011, the Kannogawa region was subjected to disastrous flooding due to a large typhoon and suffered devastating damage. Rubio heard of this disaster just as he was about to start editing his film. Facing the reality the scenery of the small community he filmed will never come back, the filmmaker showed his determined responsibility and gave his full focus in editing. With profound feelings attached to the villagers and the director himself, "Inori" is completed in 2012, the year marking the 800th anniversary since the Hojoki was written.
Pedro won the Golden Leopard Award with this film at the 65th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in 2012.