12-18 Oct — AINU – Indigenous People of Japan

Ticket £7.77 All Festival Pass £15 on sale soon https://nativespiritfestival.festivee.com/ainu—indigenous-people-of-japan

UK PREMIERE — ONLINE SCREENING 12th – 18th October
and DISCUSSION PANEL 15th October (times tbc 13:00-14:00 BST) in collaboration with Japan House London about the making of Ainu — Indigenous People of Japan.

Trailer “Ainu – Indigenous People of Japan” from Naomi Mizoguchi on Vimeo.

AINU – INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF JAPAN
Dir. Naomi Mizoguchi / 2019 / 62 mins / English subtitles, Suitable All Ages / Produced by Gara Films in collaboration with Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum @平取町立二風谷アイヌ文化博物館

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SYNOPSIS
Four Ainu elders and leaders born in the 1930s, share their stories — how each one of them has cherished and kept Ainu cultural traditions and languages alive — one makes traditional Ainu dress, another recounts oral folklore told by her grandmother, and another who has observed traditional rituals, such as the bear sacrifice ceremony.

Ainu are Indigenous People of Japan (population >20,000 in Hokkaido a northern island of Japan, previously called Ainu Mosir, or land of the Ainu). UNESCO recognises Ainu languages as critically endangered. This documentary is captured in Biratori town, Hokkaido, where many people with Ainu roots still live. It is also known as the hometown of the late Shigeru Kayano, who contributed greatly to the field of research on Ainu culture. Website: http://www.ainuhito.com/en/

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PANEL DISCUSSION HOSTED BY JAPAN HOUSE LONDON
Convenor: Programme Director Simon Wright. Intro with Dr Stephanie Pratt. Guests: Director Naomi Mizoguchi,
Kenji Sekine: Ainu/Japanese translator for the film. Kenji has been teaching Ainu language classes for children and public schools for many years.
Maki Sekine: Mukkuri (mouth harp) player for the film, is an excellent hand crafter, working in embroidery.
Maya Sekine: Maya is the daughter of Kenji and Maki. Naomi (filmmaker) has known Sekine family since 2009, when Maya was 9 years old. Maya is now 21 years old and has been active in promoting Ainu language and culture with her own YouTube Channel しとちゃんねる