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In order to give our younger generation a taste of the world of documentary film, the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival held a video production course for high school students, the “Doki Doki Workshop,” for a total of seven days from July 14th to September 16th with the co-operation of Tohoku University of Art and Design. Twenty five students split into five groups, aiming to come to grips with the medium while completing their own works. See for yourself whether the spirit of today’s high school students is living and breathing within these five dramas and documentaries.

Screening times: October 7th (Sun) From 11:00am
Screening venue: Yamagata Citizens’ Hall, small hall
Entry fee: Free

High School Student Workshop Films Lineup

• The Four Emotions
  Video / 11 min
  Five young people. Adult-like yet children, child-like yet adults. What do they go through in their everyday lives? They want you to look at your life and yourself from a new angle. And to pay heed to the emotions you experience in your everyday lives. How will you react to the messages of these five young people?
  
  (Aoki Chika, Izawa Masashi, Inoue Ayako, Kishi Sayaka, Ohe Yuta)
  
  
• Water Sprite
  Video / 10 min
  Kappa, the legendary Japanese monster. They have the appearance of a human child, except for a plate-like growth on their heads for collecting water, and a turtle-like shell on their backs. They are said to live in rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas around Japan, and their favorite foods are cucumber and fish. They are also rumored to attack humans. Kappa have long been regarded as imaginary beings, but recently their mummified remains have been discovered. Five high school students who overhear an account of a Kappa sighting enter the forest to capture one on film. Will they really come face-to face with one?
  
  (Abe Soichiro, Matsuda Toru, Sugisawa Rie, Uematsu Kentaro, Wasada Yuko)
  
  
• Festival
  Video / 19 min
  Festivals have grown and evolved alongside humankind. Just what has been born of this union? Why are people driven to such frenzied behavior? An anthology piece studying the roots of the ever-changing festival, from the fresh perspective of these high school students. The unforgettable festival is there to be found.
  
  (Kikuta Yoko, Nakamura Yuta, Ohtaki Hidetoshi, Saito Masaki, Takazawa Noriko)
  
  
• Gas Stalker
  Video / 15 min
  A man who died in the middle of an intersection had the strange hobby of breathing exhaust fumes.
  
  (Kato Azumi, Ohtomo Shintaro, Ogasawara Yoshie, Takeda Shoko, Yuki Go)
  
  
• Inorganic Maze
  Video / 11 min
  What do high school students feel, what should they be? A time when one realizes the gap between one’s dreams and reality. At this time, what do these students face, what do they think, and what direction do they take? Two high school students, groping for meaning, search for their own path. Without knowing where that path leads, or whether it is truly the right one for them, just what lies in front of them? This work delves into the mixed emotions of high school students.
  
  (Kodama Hironobu, Niizeki Shuntaro, Ohto Aya, Tada Mamiko, Takano Koji)