Videoteca

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And Then Akiko Is... A Portrait of a Dancer 2012
Sumiko Haneda returns to film what will be the final bits of Akiko Kanda's life, documenting Kanda's will to dance as she struggles with terminal cancer.

Far-Away Home: Lushun and Dalian 2011
Haneda Sumiko, documentary filmmaker who was born in Dalian, Manchuria in 1926 and was there to experience the conclusion of the Pacific War. Following her previous work , she revisits Dalian and Lushun, places where she spent her formative years. Lushun has served as an important naval port in modern times, and in 2009 was finally fully opened to foreigners. Haneda joined a tour organized as part of that opening, and delves into memoires as she visits the house where she grew up and the school she attended.

The Japanese Settlers to the Manchuria and Inner Mongolia of Mainland China 2009 star_border 6.8
Set in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo, the tragic theme of the film is the destruction of millions of lives in the 13 years before Manchukuo collapsed with Japan’s World War II surrender in August 1945, and the years of suffering it brought in its wake.

All's Well That Ends Well 2007
Documentary on end-of-life care in Japan

The Takanosu-machi Thereafter 2006
Mayor Iwakawa was voted into office in 1991, promising better welfare for senior citizens. As a result of his efforts to create a town with resident participation, while battling against anti-reform forces of the town council, Takanosu-machi becomes the best welfare town in Japan. In the nationwide local elections in 2003, however, Iwakawa, loses by a huge margin against the opposing candidate who promises the consolidation of local municipalities.

Into the Picture Scroll: The Tale of Yamanaka Tokiwa 2004
This extraordinary film presents Japanese classical scroll painting as never before. The Yamanaka Tokiwa comprises twelve scrolls painted by Matabei Iwasa some 400 years ago. Haneda redefines the art documentary and demonstrated that a film about a masterpiece can be equally masterful.

Woman Was the Sun—The Life of Hiratsuka Raicho 2002
Documentary on pioneer Japanese feminist Hiratsuka Raicho

Community Welfare that Residents Choose 1997
Toru Iwakawa is elected mayor of Takanosu on the platform of improving welfare. With the support of a group formed by residents, he aims to develop a "care town" to stop the isolation of the elderly. However, the town council refuses to support his proposal.

Women’s Testimonies - Pioneering Women in the Labor Movement 1996
In 1982, the socialist researcher Ishidō Kiyotomo organized a round table with women activists who had participated in the rise of the labor movement, from the Taishō era (1912-1925) to the Shōwa era (1926-1989). At his request, Haneda records this meeting. Stimulated by her desire to " preserve the history of these women ", the director adds additional sequences to the recording. In the film, the discrimination and domination suffered by these activists are told in the first person.

Kabuki Actor Kataoka Nizaemon 1992
Documentary film from Japan.

Getting Old without Anxiety 1990
The care facilities for the elderly in a small town in Gifu prefecture, and the comparison with the welfare in Denmark, Sweden and Australia.

The Poem of Hayachine Valley 1982 star_border 7
Iwate Prefecture, Ohasamacho. In the foothills of Mt. Hayachine, the kagura (devotional dance) offered to the mountain goddess by the mountain priests is still performed today nearly unchanged from mediaeval times. This dance, which has been handed down along several lines of succession in the villages of Take and Otsugunai, has its origins in prayer. Take's kagura and Otsugunai's kagura are said to be closely related. The film shows the people who lovingly continue to perform these two types of dance and the transition from ancient tradition to modern life. Even from the first moment that director Haneda was charmed by Hayachine's kagura, the mountain villages that were home to the gods had already begun to disappear.

The Cherry Tree with Gray Blossoms 1977 star_border 6
The poignant focal point for this film is a cherry tree that is over 1400 years old. Beginning with the tree, the director then explores the families and environment around the tree. The editing and music contribute to the sense of a haunting past contained within the solid structure of an ancient natural wonder.