Description

Director Fujikawa Fumito makes his second directorial feature with the genre-defying film THE NAME OF THE WHALE, which takes audiences through a pre-coming-of-age story that pulls from Fujikawa’s own childhood recollections of his two-year stay in the rural Japanese village of Miyoshi.

This “drama-mentary” blends drama and documentary footage to tell the story of junior high student Yuta, whose love for whales and paleontology inspires him to dig for cetacean fossils along the Miyoshi shoreline as a summer project. The contentment this assignment brings him is abruptly shattered when pieces of his everyday life begin to fall apart — his grandmother passes away; his mother’s new partner moves in; and his close friend moves away. Yuta suddenly is faced with finding the balance between his old and new worlds.

THE NAME OF THE WHALE offers a rare glimpse into life in a rural Japanese fishing village. It weaves fact and fiction and is beautifully brought to life by a non-professional cast. The film transcends both genre and culture, making for a uniquely gratifying viewing experience.

— Anna Isabel Leal

Co-presented by: Japan Society of Northern California

Credits

Director: Fumito Fujikawa
Producer: Naho Kamimura, Shiori Seto, Yuri Yoshida
Screenwriter : Fumito Fujikawa
Cinematography: Yasutaka Watanabe
Editor : Fumito Fujikawa
Cast: Shunto Tanaka, Yuto Kimura, Sanshiro Takehiro, Yuki Kimura

Website Copyright © CAAMFest 2016 & Gala Festival Engine