Okinawa Film Series: Program 2

November 21, 6:30 PM & November 26, 2:00 PM

With a heavy heart, The Japan Foundation, Toronto sends our condolences to the people of Okinawa with the recent news that a fire has destroyed much of Shuri Castle in Okinawa, a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back 500 years. The ancient castle is a symbol of Okinawa’s cultural heritage, and also an important cultural and historical symbol for Japan and for cultures around the world.

The planned Okinawa Film series will continue, but take on a different significance with news of this tragedy. We encourage you to come out to show support and learn more about this beautiful region. 

The Okinawa Film Series celebrates the diverse and rich culture of Okinawa. The first two programs will be made up of seven short films. See the beauty and rich culture of Okinawa through the people and stories told in the OKINAWA FILM series.

Films courtesy of the generosity of the Okinawa Visitors Bureau and Okinawa Film Office.

THE CHOSEN ONE 選ばれた男

Directed by Gori (2016) 20 min.

Aboard a cruise ship heading from Taiwan to Ishigakijima, a young Taiwanese man (Yenda Chen) is staring at a letter as he ponders to himself, “Am I the chosen one?” Set in Ishigakijima, Okinawa Prefecture, one of the “Top Three Star-gazing Sites” in Japan, this film is a heartwarming comedy of how an insecure young man’s destiny begins to change because of a message found in a bottle by the seaside.

INDIGO LOVE 愛と藍

Directed by Judy Sachiko Fukumoto (2012) 20 min.

Meiling Lan, an actress from Taiwan, comes to Okinawa looking forward to a vacation stay at a high-class resort to relieve herself of job stress. But the place she reserved, “KAFUU”, was a guesthouse similar only in name to a high-end hotel. The guesthouse was run by just three people, quiet Ai and talkative Satoru, and Oba (old lady), the brisk guesthouse owner. Meiling’s hopes for a dream vacation is shattered to pieces…

MOTHER OF THE GROOM ニービチの条件

Directed by Tsukasa Kishimoto (2011) 26 min.

Eiichi, who hasn’t been back home to the island he left years ago, has returned to announce the engagement to his fiancee Shiori whom he met in Tokyo.

The matriarchs don’t approve of the bride-to-be, setting off a series of battles. To be accepted as a member of the Okinawan family, the fiancee is tasked to help out with Ukui, a traditional Okinawan event. Ukui is a ritual to see off the ancestral spirits back to the other world on the last day of Obon (a festival to honor the spirit of the ancestors).

For Okinawa Film Series Program 1, click here >

Generously Supported by: Okinawa Visitors Bureau and Okinawa Film Office

Community Partner: Toronto Kyuyokai