In Sanrizuka, Chiba Prefecture, an elderly woman named Katsu Someya tirelessly weeds her field. This land has just been designated for the second phase of Narita Airport’s construction, yet her son and husband have already sold their house and farmland to the authorities. At 84 years old, Katsu Someya lives alone, separated from her family. She works without pause, unceasingly sharing stories of her life. Her tales outline a profoundly personal and strangely profound worldview, shaped by a life spanning the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. Her heartfelt and matter-of-fact words offer a simultaneously intimate and cosmic perspective. Shot on 8mm over a few years, this film is the fourth in a series of film ‘notes’ created by Fukuda Katsuhiko after returning to Sanrizuka. Employing a methodology distinct from his mentor, Ogawa Shinsuke, Fukuda introduced a groundbreaking new perspective to Japanese documentary filmmaking.

The film is structured into nineteen chapters, each corresponding to a story Grandmother Someya shared with the filmmaker over the years. Its editing rhythms shift according to the tone and delivery of her recollections, which she sometimes repeats, mirroring the fluidity of memory. Initially screened in 8mm, the film was blown up to a 16mm version for broader circulation. It incorporates Japanese subtitles that add another layer of meaning, interacting with the narration and Grandmother Someya’s storytelling. As the film progresses, the subtitles gradually and deliberately fade, blending her voice with the ambient sounds of her surroundings. The work was co-produced with the filmmaker’s partner, Hatano Yukie, who took still photographs, supported the editing process, and created illustrations.

Japanese spoken, English subtitles
Subtitles provided by Punto de Vista festival, Open City Documentary Festival, Courtisane, Subtitula’m