The Sanrizuka farmers’ struggle against the construction of Narita International Airport persisted for over a decade. In May 1978, the government opened the airport’s first runway, years later than planned, due to fierce resistance from the opposition movement.

To weaken the grassroots opposition, the government sought to pacify farmers with substantial subsidies for agriculture. Previously, they had endured severe constraints on their work, making the proposed Narita Water-Agricultural Development Project appealing to some. However, the young members of the Youth Action Brigade refused the offer, opting to handle the hydro-agricultural efforts themselves. As one farmer states in the film, “The real struggle starts now.”

The film portrays Sanrizuka’s resistance through the lens of an everyday peasant’s life, remaining true to their perspectives as they reorganise and place agricultural issues at the heart of their continued struggle.

The March of the Earth lies at the core of Fukuda’s practice, showcasing his view of cinema as a means to understand and transmit a community’s concerns: “I felt this would become a full-fledged film from the first shoot. While it carries strong educational elements, my camera finally began capturing people’s emotions. This work is my self-declared ‘graduation project’ from Ogawa Productions.”

Japanese spoken, English subtitles
Subtitles provided by Courtisane, Open City Documentary Festival