风之波纹 / 風の波紋 (2015)

　　A documentary that observes the lives of people living in a mountainous region covered in snow.

　　Niigata Prefecture, located in central Japan, is known for its heavy snowfall. This documentary observes the lives of people who moved from the city to a village where removing snow from the rooves in the winter is an essential part of life. The film observes their life as they engage in work such rice farming and traditional dyeing.

　　Activities such as fixing up houses that had been destroyed by the 2011 earthquake and working in the rice fields that they have on loan, all require the help of the community. There is a stark contrast between the warm human interactions and the harsh natural environment that surround them. Glimpses of Japan’s social issues such as the cold reality of depopulation and the effects of the earthquake and nuclear disaster peak out from within the ordinary daily activities of the people.