Program

”Mabui Special Award” Screening

Photo: Isao Nakazato

『Tsuru-Henry』
Director: Go Takamine
1998／85 minutes／Japan／Okinawan, Japanese, English, Taiwanese／FHD
＊There's only Japanese subtitles for this screening.
A local talent Tsuru Shimabukuro, a folk singer, finds a script titled "Love's Love" by the writer Mekaru and sets out to return it, encountering eccentric characters and surreal situations along the way. Meanwhile, Mekaru, having lost his fortune to slot machines, becomes engrossed in studying ants. When Tsuru finally reaches Mekaru's home, he has left for Taiwan. Undeterred, Tsuru decides to stay, bringing her son Henry along, and begins filming the discovered script.

＜Director Profile＞
Go Takamine
Go Takamine, hailing from Kabira village on Ishigaki Island, embarked on his filmmaking journey after studying art at Kyoto University of Education. He made his mark with "Okinawan Dream Show" (1974), capturing Okinawa's landscape during the reversion period. In 1985, his fiction film "Paradise View" gained international recognition, screening at festivals like the Berlin International Film Festival's Young Forum. His film "Untamagiru" (1989) earned him the Caligari Award at Berlin, the Grand Prize at the Three Continents Festival in Nantes, and accolades from Hawaii International Film Festival and the Directors' Guild of Japan, establishing him as a pioneer in Okinawan-language cinema. In "Tsuru-Henry" (1998), starring folk singer Oshiro Misako, Takamine ventured into digital filmmaking. His recent work, "Queer Fish Lane" (2016), marked his return after 18 years, showcasing his enduring impact on the international film scene.




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