The Story of New Town (103 min, 2003)
by Honda Takayoshi
Around 1970’s, in the Japan’s high economic growth era, numerous new-towns (industrial towns) were born everywhere in Japan. Sanyo-Danchi in Okayama where the director Honda grew up was one of them. Ending the rapid growth which brought the people into the town with a full of hope for the prosperous future, those 70’s new-towns has become ‘old-towns’ and facing new realities. Dir.Honda went back to the town as an outsider, thought about his home town, revisited old friends and family, and did something extraordinary, for the town-people or for himself or for both… What can “art” do now – to the people and to the town on the wane? This film was partly funded by the National Cultural Affairs of Japan. (by the curator)
Director Honda Takayoshi – Past works include, “Deaf Director (documentary about a deaf-mute, 1995),” “As a Scientist (about a possible hazardous results caused by moving facilities of the National Institute Infectious Diseases, 1999)” etc. Yamagata International Documentary Festival, Takasaki Film Festival, Okayama Film Festival, etc.