Shûkichi Koizumi

Little Voices from Fukushima

The name Fukushima has become a synonym for the dangers of nuclear energy, much like Chernobyl. Director Hitomi KAMANAKA analyzes the parallels between the two disasters, travelling to the affected regions in Japan and Belarus. Her interest and compassion lies with the families, especially the children and their mothers who try to protect them. This film lets their voices be heard.

Ashes to Honey

For 28 years, the people of Iwaishima Island, living in the middle of the bountiful Inland Sea, have been opposing a plan to build a nuclear power plant. The island has a 1000 - year history during which people have preserved their traditional festival. Takashi, the youngest on the island , is struggling to earn his living. He dreams of a life based on sustainable energy. Meanwhile, communities in Sweden are making an effort to implement such lives. The people living in the Arctic circle have taken action to overcome damage from the global economy. On Iwaishima, Mr. Ujimoto has begun sustainable agriculture by reclaiming aban-doned farmlands. But a power company tries to fill in a bay to create man-made land. The people of the island set sail together to stop the construction of the nuclear power plant. A fight breaks out on the sea.

Vermilion Souls

Set in Tokyo seven years after the end of WWII, this surreal story revolves around the dreams and realities of a young boy who strays into a strange mansion while out chasing fliers dropped by a small aeroplane. Confined inside are four adults suffering from an incurable disease ('porphyria', which the author avoids specifying by name in the screenplay) which prevents them from having exposure to the sun.

Sawada

A biographical film of Pulitzer Prize war photographer, K. Sawada.

I-Omante -The Bear Ritual-

This film focuses on I-OMANTE ritual that is to liberate the souls of the Gods from the furs and meat and send them back to the Land of the Gods. The Ainu believed that bears were Gods. The Gods come to the Land of the Ainu, which means “human beings”, with meat, furs and medicine (the gall bladders of the bears) as their gifts.

Wedding Ceremony of the Ainus

The documentary is a record of a marriage ceremony that took place in April 1971 and was performed in accordance with Ainu traditions at the request of the young bride. There were two hurdles to overcome in the realization of the ceremony: first, a group of Ainu had to be convinced, who were against a revival of the tradition. Secondly, there were only a few members of the community who knew the details of the ceremony at all, since most of them had already been celebrating a wedding in their own style for over 80 years.