The Catcher on the Shore

Hiroto gets on the bus, alone, and heads for Nakijin Village in Yanbaru (North of mainland Okinawa) from Naha to spend the winter break at his mother’s parents’ place. Luxuriant settlements surrounded by mountains and seas. Houses with red-tiled-roofs. Grandma and grandpa. And the foul-mouthed uncle…

Hiroto has grown up in the city, but spending time with Ryuya – his cousin of the same age – and his cousin’s friends, Hiroto quickly finds his place in the heart of Yanbaru like any 12-year old would. One day, he realizes that one of the two kiddies in the goat stable has gone missing…

What is stunning is that the perspectives – of adults and children in the city, adults and children in the country, and the kiddies – are filmed by Ryugo Nakamura, a director at the age of 14.

The audience cannot help but feel drawn to the microcosm of little Hiroto, a world created by the delicate sensibility of a 14-year old.

●9/19 14:30 Naramachi Center City Hall  (500yen)

unekazu Uehara, Seima Gima, Susumu Taira, Taeko Yoshida, Yayoi Shiroma,