Sunday, July 20, 2014, 6:00 PM
Japan Society
333 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

CLOSING FILM
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Tetsuichiro Tsuta.

Introduction and Q&A with director Tetsuichiro Tsuta

“5/5 stars… a work of instant and startling brilliance.” –The Telegraph (UK)

Shot on 35mm in Tokushima Prefecture’s gorgeous Iya Valley, Tetsuichiro Tsuta’s second feature feels like the work of a seasoned filmmaker. The Tale of Iya depicts the story of a shrinking rural community and traditional ways of life encroached on by modern society and consumerism. A grandfather (legendary dancer Min Tanaka) and his granddaughter, Haruna (actress and martial artist Rina Takeda), live together in a small mountain town, eating food they grow and hunting in the forest. Haruna is about to finish high school and must choose whether she will stay or move to the city. Tanaka is powerful and nearly wordless in this indelible screen performance, matched by Takeda, who provides the film with its emotional anchor. Through the appearance of a young man from Tokyo (Shima Ohnishi), Tsuta subtly portrays the dilemmas of leaving, staying and the politicized fights to conserve the environment or temporarily boost the economy.

Japan. 2013. 169 min. DCP, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Tetsuichiro Tsuta. With Rina Takeda, Shima Ohnishi, Min Tanaka, Hitoshi Murakami, Naomi Kawase.

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