The Japan Society
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The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)

The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
Applicant: Silver Salt Films
Award: £1000
Field: Arts, Culture
Support for: translation

Project:

The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)’ is a Japanese-language feature film that blends drama and documentary approaches, filmed over 27 weeks in a small farming village in the mountains of rural Kyoto Prefecture (nearest to Shiotani, Ayabe) Japan with a population of just 47 – the first feature film ever to be shot in this particular location.

A crucial and emotive scene in the film takes place over many hours at a party with a group of working-class men together drinking, telling jokes and stories. To ensure accurate representation of the subjects and their dialogue on-screen the help of a specialist Kansai translator was required which the Japan Society supported with funding towards. 

The film went on to win BEST FILM in the Encounters Competition of the 70th Berlinale (2020)

To find out more about the film, visit the Silver Salt Films website.

Successful Grants