Still the Water

classified 15 S
Film

Please note: This was screened in July 2015

Director
Naomi Kawase
Cast
Nijirô Murakami, Jun Yoshinaga, Miyuki Matsuda |
Details
121 mins, Subtitled, 2014, France/Japan/Spain

Gorgeous and poetic, this latest film exploring loss, loneliness, and first love from Japan's cinematic visionary Naomi Kawase (The Mourning Forest) transports us to a subtropical island, where villagers live in harmony with nature.

The morning after a typhoon hits the island, 16-year-old Kaito (Nijiro Murakami) finds a dead man floating in the sea. This unsettling discovery transforms the lives of Kaito and his classmate Kyoko (Jun Yoshinaga), both of whom are already dealing with profound domestic upheaval. While Kyoko prepares to say goodbye to her dying mother, Isa (Miyuki Matsuda), Kaito's parents are splitting up: his father’s gone back to his native Tokyo. As their families attempt to weather the storms of change, Kaito and Kyoko fall in love, finding sweet consolation in each other.

Still the Water witnesses the intimate moments and public rituals that bind this island community together, from an old fisherman graphically slaughtering a goat, to friends and family holding vigil over Isa. The island shamans reassure us that nature is part of a great cycle, with all its joys and sorrows. Beautiful and moving, this is a serene mediation on the life’s most fundamental experiences.

  • The screenings of Still The Water on Tue 7 July are part of our Cinébites deal: Get 30% off any main dish in the Café/Bar with a valid cinema ticket.

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