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


2024

Cinémathèque Seoul Art Cinema

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