In the organizer's words:

アイヌプリ Ainu Puri
Director: FUKUNAGA Takeshi
2024, 86 minutes, OmeU, DCP

In his feature film Ainu mushiri (Ainu Mosir) from 2020, Hokkaido-born director Fukunaga Takeshi explored the theme of identity in an Ainu village, with the actors themselves being Ainu. In the documentary Ainu Puri, he follows people on Hokkaido who preserve the traditional Ainu culture and practice the Ainu style(Ainu Puri) in their everyday lives.

Amanai Shigeki lives in the town of Shiranuka on Hokkaido. He leads a modern life, but at the same time maintains the traditions of the Ainu in his own way and passes on the techniques, culture and beliefs of his ancestors to his son Motoki, including the traditional Marek fishing method. The portrait accompanies Shigeki and his family in their everyday life and shows how they live in the present while maintaining their roots.

Film series
The film location Hokkaido
Unique stories in unique places

Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan, is primarily known for its impressive landscape with mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and unique flora and fauna. In 2005, the Shiretoko peninsula on the north-eastern tip of Hokkaido was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its spectacular landscape. In addition, festivals such as the famous Sapporo Snow Festival with its international snow sculpture competition attract millions of visitors every year.

Hokkaido, with its unmistakable landscape, is also a popular filming location for both the Japanese market and foreign productions. Last but not least, Hokkaido is home to the Ainu people, to whom the Japanese Cultural Institute is dedicating several events in February. To mark these events, we are turning our attention northwards and presenting three films that were made in Hokkaido.

The focus is on strong personalities in special relationships: Tsubakihime tells the story of a cab driver in Sapporo who is madly in love with a singer. Gakkô II describes how the relationship between a teacher and his students develops over the years, and in Ainu Puri the director accompanies people on Hokkaido who preserve the traditional Ainu culture.