Storytellers
(Utau hito)
JAPAN / 2013 / Japanese / Color / Blu-ray / 120 min
Directors: Sakai Ko, Hamaguchi Ryusuke
Photography: Iioka Yukiko, Kitagawa Yoshio, Sasaki Yasuyuki
Sound Editor: Hwang Young–chang
Timing: Josha Yukibumi
Producer: Serizawa Takashi, Aizawa Kumi
Appearances: Ito Masako, Sasaki Tsuyoshi, Sato Reiko, Ono Kazuko
Production Company, World Sales: Silent Voice
The storytellers of Tome, Kurihara, and Tono in the Tohoku region of Japan have passed down their tales for generations. They now share their stories with Ono Kazuko, of the Miyagi Folktales Association. These folktales were born from the unforgivingly difficult life in Tohoku, and the tightly knit families that inhabit the region. This work is not only a record of folktales, but also the trust that born from the bond between storyteller and listener and the act of passing on a story.
[Director’s Statement] Storytellers records our narratives of folklore passed down in the Tohoku region, completing our trilogy of Tohoku documentaries that started with The Sound of the Waves and Voices from the Waves. Passed from grandparent to parent to child, these folktales imprint themselves upon the storyteller’s person, coming to life again when they meet a new listener. As audiences, we witness the primal experience of leaving a legacy through the acts of telling and listening to stories.
Interview