Starring: Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka and Ayaka Shibutani
Distributor: Rialto Distribution
Runtime: 106 mins. Reviewed in Apr 2024
Reviewer: Peter W Sheehan
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This Japanese film, with English subtitles, tells the story of people in a rural village in Japan who become concerned about the environmental impact of a planned intrusion on their landscape.
The film focuses on a single parent, Takumi (Omika) who lives in Harasawa, a small rural village, close to Tokyo, with his young daughter, eight-year old Hana (Nishikawa). Takumi is a wood-cutter and water-gatherer and spends his time doing odd jobs for people in his village.
The film was awarded Best Film at the 2023 London Film Festival, and awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival. It also won the Greenpeace Award at the 2023 San Sebastián International Film Festival. Director Hamaguchi is much admired for his well-received 2021 movie, Drive My Car.
The Idyllic peace of the village, nestled among untouched land and crystal-clear waters, is disrupted by a Tokyo company ‘Playmate’. The company wants to start construction of a ‘glamping’ site for city tourists. The work threatens the health and wellbeing of the village community. Villagers fear that the construction will destroy the ecology of the environment around them. At present, mountain deer peacefully roam free, and that will be no longer possible. The villagers know that glamping will provide better, more luxurious accommodation and facilities than traditional camping. The construction will be profitable, but the villagers fear disturbance to the serene environment.
Because ‘Playmate’ wants glamorous camping for tourists, two company representatives (Kosaka and Shibutani) arrive to talk to the townspeople about the glamping proposal. At the meeting, Takumi describes the effect of the proposed development on the quality of the local spring water. Nervous evasion by Takumi at the meeting about key concerns arouses strong community anxiety.
This is a gentle, meditative and compelling movie. Evil doesn’t exist in the peaceful community at the moment, and the villagers want it to stay that way. The cinematography is outstanding. Every shot has a purpose, and the film has an evocative musical score that soulfully draws the viewer into sharing the film’s reflective mood. Hamaguchi is a master director, who paints a subtle portrait of humanity, but he offers us a surprisingly bleak, and shocking ending to suggest that evil will stay in the village. The film delicately balances human need with the power of nature. But corporate greed complicates the mix, and is able to destroy it.
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