人類よりはるかに長い時を生きる巨木の森を訪ね、その知性の神秘に迫ったネイチャードキュメンタリー。 国土の7割近くが森林という日本で、人間にとって身近な存在である森の真の姿を知るべく、日本を代表する研究者たちとともに各地を訪問。北海道・雄阿寒岳山麓のアイヌに守られた巨木の森、宮城県・鳴子温泉鬼首にある自生山の樹齢300年を超える木々の共生、大分県・日田小野川で約9万年前の阿蘇山大噴火以来川底に眠り続けてきた大木、熊本県・水上村の市房山で絶滅危惧種の蝶が生息する神聖な森、沖縄県・西表島の謎多きマングローブ林など、人間の想像を超える多種共存の姿から、わたしたちの未来を問う。 監督は、「絵の中のぼくの村」「ぐるりのこと。」などを手がけた映画プロデューサーで本作が長編初監督となる山上徹二郎と、「明日をへぐる」など人と自然のあり方をテーマにドキュメンタリー制作を続けてきた今井友樹。山上監督が自らナレーションを務めた。
With forests covering 70% of its land, Japan is a nation defined by its woods. We embark on a journey to discover the true essence of the forests that surround us—from the foothills of Mt. Oakan in Hokkaido to Naruko in Miyagi, Hita in Oita, Mt. Ichifusa in Kumamoto, and Iriomote Island in Okinawa. Accompanied by leading Japanese researchers, this nature documentary ventures into ancient forests of giant trees that have survived far longer than humanity, exploring the mysteries of their intelligence. What is the world that these forests of multi-species coexistence, far beyond human imagination, are trying to tell us? Tetsujiro Yamagami, the producer behind acclaimed films such as *Village of Dreams*, *All Around Us*, and *The Lookout Generation*, reflects on his own life as he makes his feature-length directorial debut. He joins forces with Yuki Imai, who continues to create documentaries themed around the relationship between humanity and nature such as *Heguru*, to tackle this new subject. Within the eternal flow of time, how are nature and humans connected, and where are we headed next?
Source: cinematokyo.com · Tokyo mini-theater & independent cinema showtimes.