A Far Shore
by Masaaki Kudo
►Synopsis
Logline
17 years Aoi’s cheerful and modest life as an underage mother goes downward a spiral as she is struggling against her husband ‘s violent temper. A story about youth’s social poverty in Okinawa.
Synopsis
Aoi has dropped out of high school and gives birth to a baby son with her husband Masaya. They live in Okinawa, the Southern island of Japan where they were both born. To make ends meet, she starts working as a night-club hostess. Masaya loses his job and cannot deal with the family’s responsibilities. Their immaturity and dependence aggravate the relationship and continuous fights lead to a social downfall. Aoi’s bond with her son sets her on a path to find solutions.
Specifications
Japan 2022 128 mn 1.66:1 5.1 Japanese & Okinawan
Written and Directed by
Masaaki Kudo
Produced by
Yuki Kitagawa
Executive Producer
Shunsuke Koga
Crew
Takayuki SUGIMURA (SOG) Cinematographer
Ran KOBAYASHI Production design
Keefar Sound design & recording
Hironori ITO Sound design
Masamichi SHIGENO Original score
Cast
Kotone HANASE (Aoi)
Yumemi ISHIDA (Mio)
Yoshiro SAKUMA (Masaya)
Bio- Filmo
Masaaki KUDO was born in 1983 in Kyoto, Japan. He worked as assistant director to several well-know directors, such as Sion SONO, Yoshimitsu MORITA, Yojiro TAKITA, Isshin INUDO, Isao YUKISADA, Shinji HIGUCHI and gained wide experiences in diverse films from the classic period drama to sci-fi fantasy. His first feature, I’M CRAZY received the Netpac Award at Bucheon International Fantastic FF in 2018. Then UNPRECENTED premiered at Tallinn Black Nights FF in 2021. A FAR SHORE, his third feature film was developped for many years in cooperation with Okinawa.
Festivals
KVIFF 2022 – Crystal Globe Competition
TokyoFilMex- AUDIENCE AWARD
Cairo International Film Festival- Official Selection
GOA International Film Festival of India – Cinema of the World
2023
Joburg Film Festival
Nippon Connection- Japanese Film Festival
Taoba Youth Film Festival- International Competition
Press Quotes
Masaaki Kudo’s affectingly Mizoguchian modern-day tragedy – Jessica Kiang, Variety
A heart-felt story set in Okinawa – Deborah Young, The Film Verdict
An emotional blockbuster full of poetry and lyricism – Meredith Taylor, Filmuforia
As a slice-of-life look at the problems facing young women in a certain social strata, this packs an undeniable punch and deserves to be screen. – Jeremy C. Processing
Masaaki Kudo’s film, remarkably delicate, finds the right point of view to be as sweet as it is bitter, as dark as it is warm; enriching contradictions that we find until the ending. Nicolas Bardot, Le Polyester
