Kashima Paradise
Director Bénie Deswarte, Yann le Masson
Countries France
Duration 110 min
Synopsis
Kashima Paradise is an important testimony about Japan in the beginning of the 70's. It paints a portrait of Japanese society trapped between traditions and modern-day development; as industrialization enfolds traditional values, social awareness is all the more paralyzed by the dominant ideology. Farmlands and farmers alike give way to giant petrochemical plants and the jobs they offer; violent demonstrations cannot stop the construction of a major airport. But in the tradition of giri, the inauguration of a blast furnace is accompanied by gifts to the gods. "The gods are the only capitalists in Japan, " the filmmaker says. "And that doesn’t make the class struggle any easier. " "The commentary of the film was written by Chris Marker. "
Kashima Paradise is an important testimony about Japan in the beginning of the 70's. It paints a portrait of Japanese society trapped between traditions and modern-day development; as industrialization enfolds traditional values, social awareness is all the more paralyzed by the dominant ideology. Farmlands and farmers alike give way to giant petrochemical plants and the jobs they offer; violent demonstrations cannot stop the construction of a major airport. But in the tradition of giri, the inauguration of a blast furnace is accompanied by gifts to the gods. "The gods are the only capitalists in Japan, " the filmmaker says. "And that doesn’t make the class struggle any easier. " "The commentary of the film was written by Chris Marker. "