Snow as Flowers: Niino’s Snow Festival
急速に変化を遂げた昭和の日本で人々の生活意識の根底にあるものを見つめ続けた映画作家・野田真吉が、長野県に伝わる「新野の雪まつり」の様子をとらえ、中世から続く人々の心意を祭りの中に見いだそうとした記録映画。 長野県阿南町新野の伊豆神社と諏訪社を中心に13世紀頃から続く「新野の雪まつり」。人々は冬に舞い落ちる雪を稲穂の花に見立て、実りの先触れとして五穀豊穣を願う。夜を徹して行われる祭りには「きょうまん（競馬）」「翁」「鬼」などの仮面仮装の芸能が次々と現れ、実りをもたらす精霊「さいほう」が登場すると場が沸き立つ。野田監督は、来る1年の生産に向けた農民の日常（ケ）の願いを、ハレの祭りの中に読み取ろうとする。 特集上映企画「野田真吉特集 ゆきははなである」（2025年12月6日～、ポレポレ東中野ほか全国順次開催）上映作品。
A documentary by filmmaker Shinkichi Noda, who continually explored the foundations of people's consciousness in rapidly changing Showa-era Japan. This film captures the "Niino Snow Festival" of Nagano Prefecture, seeking to find the enduring spirit of the people within this festival that has continued since medieval times. The Niino Snow Festival has been held since around the 13th century, centered around Izu Shrine and Suwa Shrine in Niino, Anan Town, Nagano Prefecture. People see the falling winter snow as rice flower blossoms, a harbinger of the harvest, and pray for abundant grain. Throughout the night-long festival, masked and costumed performances like "Kyoman" (horse racing), "Okina" (old man), and "Oni" (demon) appear one after another, and the crowd erupts when the spirit of bounty, "Saiho," makes its entrance. Director Noda attempts to read the everyday wishes of farmers for the coming year's production within this sacred festival space. This film is part of the special screening series "Shinkichi Noda Special: Snow is a Flower" (screening from December 6, 2025, at Pole Pole Higashi-Nakano and other theaters nationwide).
Source: cinematokyo.com · Tokyo mini-theater & independent cinema showtimes.