A Far Shore
Director's Note
“A Far Shore” is a reflection of the reality I witnessed firsthand in Okinawa, where I went to for my research in 2018. Okinawa's poverty rate exceeds 29%, far surpassing the national average. The scars of war still run deep there, and even today, children continue to face the crisis of poverty. Why has it come to this? As I conducted my research, I was confronted with a reality beyond my control. Even though I couldn't solve this issue, I felt compelled to make this film. I wanted to face Aoi, the protagonist, with a pure heart and I wanted people to see her journey. That was my sole motivation in making this film. I wasn’t trying to save anyone or change the world—I simply wanted to pose the question to the audience: How did things end up this way? This may not be an easy film to watch, but I would be truly grateful if you take the time to see it.
“A Far Shore” is, in its politics, a very contemporary story. But centering the experiences of a sex worker striving to survive a succession of bad men is also firmly in the classic Japanese tradition of Kenzo Mizoguchi. It’s no small thing to say that Kudo’s film earns the comparison, through its clear-eyed, broken-hearted screenplay (co-written by Kudo and Mami Suzuki), and through Hanase’s achingly empathetic performance.
Read full article
This kind of poverty is unleavened by the dark humor to be found in "Shoplifters" and "Parasite" and so harder to stare in the face, yet Kotone Hanase’s quiet, realistic portrait of Aoi demands human sympathy and requires a moral response.
Read full article