Archive of films Still the Water / Futatsume no mado

Japan / France / Spain
2014, 119 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2014

With an empathetic take on life’s ups and downs, this semi-autobiographical rendering looks at the gradual maturation of a 16-year-old boy and girl from different families. Contemplatively narrated, the picture relies on unobtrusive poetics and an unforced portrayal of beauty, bitterness, and the elusive nature of life.


Synopsis

Set on a tropical Japanese island, the film is a slowly-unfolding meditation on coming of age and the trials of life. Despite lacking parental guidance, 16-year-old Kaito and his girlfriend Kyoko try to find their place in the world. While Kaito suffers from the absence of his father, who moved to distant Tokyo after Kaito’s birth, Kyoko must come to grips with her mother’s terminal illness. The gently flowing, poetic film betrays the director’s sense for capturing the moment, and her meticulous depiction of her characters’ inner worlds. At the same time, the scenes possess the magic of the intangible, they discover the beauty of ordinary moments, and convey the pain and loss that are an integral part of life. Aesthetically captivating, the film – which was shot in the home of Kawase’ ancestors – is also a highly autobiographical work reflecting the director’s own life experiences.

About the director

Naomi Kawase

Naomi Kawase (b. 1969, Nara, Japan) began shooting on 8 mm and 16 mm while studying in Osaka. Her early films, through which she comes to terms with having been raised by her grandparents, were well received by international audiences. At the 1997 Cannes IFF, she became the youngest winner of the Camera d’Or, which she received for her feature-length debut Suzaku (Moe no suzaku), which was also shown in Karlovy Vary. Firefly (Hotaru, 2000) won an award at the festival in Locarno. Her mysterious drama The Mourning Forest (Mogari no mori, 2007) took the Grand Prix at Cannes and screened, along with her dreamy relationship tale Hanezu (Hanezu no tsuki, 2011), at Karlovy Vary. Kawase has also been recognized for her documentary work. Still the Water was screened in competition at this year’s festival in Cannes.

Contacts

mk2 Films
55, rue Traversière, 75012, Paris
France
Tel: +33 144 673 111
Fax: +33 143 072 963
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.mk2.com

About the film

Color, DCP

Section: Horizons
   
Director: Naomi Kawase
Screenplay: Naomi Kawase
Dir. of Photography: Yutaka Yamazaki
Music: Hasiken
Editor: Tina Baz
Producer: Masa Sawada, Takehiko Aoki, Naomi Kawase
Production: Comme des Cinémas
Coproduction: Arte France Cinéma, Luis Miñarro, Kumie, Asmik Ace
Cast: Nijiro Murakami, Kyoko Jun Yoshinaga, Isa Miyuki Matsuda, Tetsu Tetta Sugimoto
Contact: mk2 Films

Guests

Lluís Miñarro

Film Director / Producer

YouTube

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