Director: Yukio IOKIBE

Producer: Atsuko KINOSHITA

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Genre: Documentary

Theatrical Release in Japan: Fall 2025
[2025 / Color / HD / 16:9 / Stereo / 101 min. / Japanese with English subtitles]

 

[Synopsis]

Anamizu, in Ishikawa Pref., with its population now below 7,000, has entered the “final stage of depopulation,” where both young people and the elderly are dwindling. Living in a remote village accessible only via rough roads from the town center promoting compact city development is Mr. Takii, a former middle school teacher. Since 2020, he has published a handwritten newspaper, continuously sounding the alarm about profit-driven policies and the town's future. The town hall and council are rife with inertia and political expediency. The documentary highlights the distortion in these relationships.

On January 1, 2024, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck. When a TV program closely observed the town facing this unexpected disaster and aired it, it opened a huge hole in the community. The camera, capturing the buds of tangible change, also cuts into the town's biggest “taboo.”

Can democracy survive in this town, in this country? A love letter from Anamizu, staking everything on a sliver of hope!