The Box

Black and white, 16 mm
Japan, 2002, 67 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

This entirely new type of science fiction is an allegory of the world of the future, offering the tranquil coexistence of the latest technology and natural surroundings, symbolised by a tree. We find ourselves in a village, where technology blends into the nostalgic scenery. An old inventor creates a Box from the wood of an old, spreading tree, which then becomes an integral part of this tree. The Box travels the landscape along old, overgrown railway tracks, capturing people’s reminiscences and events. The old man is worried, however, since he has yet to fulfil its wish. But life in the monotonous though peaceful village gradually changes after his death – the tree falls to the ground, the Box breaks but sorrow brings new hope. What kind of wish will now be expressed?

About the director

Kanji Nakajima (b. 1970, Koucha, Japan) studied at Zokei University in Tokyo, then began making videos. His film Ka. Ke. Ra (1989) won a prize for originality at the Image Forum festival and the Silver Prize at the Video Biennale in Medellin, Columbia.  In 1990 he began making his first feature film Hagane, which he completed four years later. He has won a number of awards, among them the Silver Plate awarded for debut films at the Portugal IFF, and the Grand Prix at the UNESCO Art/Education IFF. He began work on his second feature film The Box (Hako) in 1997 and finished it last year.