Director: Masakazu KANEKO
Cast: Ryuhei MATSUOKA / Kanako HIGASHI / Yusuke Fukuchi / Kinuo YAMADA / Ai OZAKI / Hatsunori HASEGAWA

Genre: Fantasy / Hunting / Drama

[2016 / Color / HD / Stereo / 86 min. / Japanese with English subtitles]

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[Festival Records]

Official Selection - Beijing International Film Festival 2016

Winner Best Cinematography Award:

-  Vasteras Film Festival 2017

Winner Best Movie & Best Critic Award

-  Festival Cine Marbella 2018

Winner Best Asian Pictue & Jury Special Mention Award

-  Formosa Festival of International FIlmmaker Award 2017

Winner Best Feature, Best Director & Best Cinematography

-  Figueira Film Art 2017

 

[Synopsis]

Yuku is a hunter who works for animal damage control programs in the mountains of central Japan. In order to afford the medical bills for the treatment oh his mother’s illness, he accepts a lucrative contract to kill a rare, white deer that lives in the forest by a remote village, and whose presence is thought to undermine tourism in the region by the neighbouring town’s bureaucrats. As he ventures into the village; however, he discovers that the animal is venerated as a god by the local community, which lives in a state of semi-isolation from the rest of society. While assessing his ethical responsibilities in undertaking such a task, he gets closer to inhabitants of the village, facing their conflicting emotions as to whether they should keep living as “outsiders”.