HATOMA FILMS, THE

Year: 1983 Classification: G Runtime: 64 min Produced In: Australia Directed By: Solrun Hoaas Produced By: Solrun Hoaas Language: Japanese dialogue/English subtites
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DVD 1 contains 3 films - WAITING FOR WATER, THERE'S NOTHING THAT DOESN'T TAKE TIME and THE PRIESTESS/THE STOREKEEPER.

DVD 2 contains SACRED VANDALS and is available separately, follow this link: www.roninfilms.com.au/feature/476.html

WAITING FOR WATER - A documentary on daily life on a small depopulated island using a combination of diary narration and English subtitles. The film uses an ebb-and-flow structure to capture the recurring events and images of life on an island that once had over 600 people, but now only little over 40 due to the move to the cities ‘for the sake of the children’s education.’ WINNER! Special Jury Prize, Uni-Japan Competition, Tokyo 1981. Official Selection! 1981 Margaret Mead Film Festival, New York. Approx 27 mins / 1981.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT DOESN'T TAKE TIME - A mini film from Hatoma showing a 76-year-old woman weaving a basket for the fishing. During the task, which takes from morning till late afternoon, she talks about herself and her life. Approx 7 mins / 1981.

THE PRIESTESS/THE STOREKEEPER - A portrait of the only remaining priestess who lives permanently on Hatoma. She also runs the only remaining shop, thus providing for the islanders in both a spiritual and material sense. Through a series of quiet conversations, the film reflects the priestess’s gentle personality and her own view of the role of ritual in the daily life of the island. Approx 30 mins / 1983.
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The recent Japanese hit TV series Ruri no shima takes up the story of the school on Hatoma and was filmed on location there. The uniqueness of the Hatoma films was recognised by their inclusion in the 30th Anniversary program of the Japan Ethnological Film Society in Naha, Okinawa 2008. SACRED VANDALS screened at Hosei University's Institute of Okinawan Studies as part of a major Okinawa Documentary Film Festival in Tokyo in September 2008, a witness to the film's enduring relevance.

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