Japan's Tragedy

  • 101'
  • Japan
  • 2012
This restrained family drama, shot almost entirely in black-and-white, is dedicated to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, but also to the 31,560 people who committed suicide in Japan in 2010. The famous actor Nakadai Tatsuya (Kagemusha, Ran) plays a retired widower diagnosed with lung cancer. He doesn’t want to be treated, shuts himself up in the room with the altar for his deceased wife and refuses food and drink. This, despite the pleas of his son who lost his wife and daughter in the tsunami.
Japan's Tragedy is set entirely in this house, while in flashbacks the prior history unfolds: the son, who is hit by unemployment and depression, is sad that he cannot live up to the expectations of parents and family.
Kobayashi (The Rebirth), Filmmaker in Focus 2008 and never afraid to tackle issues that are sensitive in Japan, chooses a sober, apparently classic style. This story about helplessness and loneliness again reveals his humanist gaze.
  • 101'
  • Japan
  • 2012
Director
Kobayashi Masahiro
Premiere
European premiere
Country of production
Japan
Year
2012
Festival Edition
IFFR 2013
Length
101'
Medium
HDcam
Original title
Nippon no higeki
Language
Japanese
Producer
Kobayashi Masahiro
Production Company
Monkey Town Productions
Sales
Monkey Town Productions
Screenplay
Kobayashi Masahiro
Cinematography
Ooki Sumio
Editor
Kaneko Naoki
Production Design
Yamazaki Teru
Sound Design
Fukuda Shin
Cast
Nakadai Tatsuya, Kitamura Kazuki
Website
http://monkeytownproductions.com/
Director
Kobayashi Masahiro
Premiere
European premiere
Country of production
Japan
Year
2012
Festival Edition
IFFR 2013
Length
101'
Medium
HDcam
Original title
Nippon no higeki
Language
Japanese
Producer
Kobayashi Masahiro
Production Company
Monkey Town Productions
Sales
Monkey Town Productions
Screenplay
Kobayashi Masahiro
Cinematography
Ooki Sumio
Editor
Kaneko Naoki
Production Design
Yamazaki Teru
Sound Design
Fukuda Shin
Cast
Nakadai Tatsuya, Kitamura Kazuki
Website
http://monkeytownproductions.com/