The music came first, and then the image. The Japanese master's film, which has been compared to a fairy tale of nature, began with a soundtrack, so a session in an opera has an additional meaning. The latest film by the Japanese master, Oscar-winner Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, was awarded the Special Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
In the Japanese countryside, in the company of a gently flowing river and rustling trees, single father Takumi raises his daughter Hana. Their quiet life is shattered when a Tokyo company announces plans to build a luxury campsite nearby. As tensions rise in the village and fears grow that the water will be irreversibly contaminated, Takumi becomes one of the leaders of the resistance. Director Hamaguchi's plans were for this to be a 30-minute silent film with a live musical score written by composer Eiko Ishibashi, but filming dragged on and Hamaguchi decided to turn it into a feature film with dialogue, while keeping the importance of the music.
Screened in original language with English and Lithuanian subtitles.
The Vilnius International Film Festival KINO PAVASARIS will take place this year from 14 to 27 March.
