Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Ocean Elegy,’ ‘Tina’ Bookend Japan’s Cinema at Sea Festival’s Second Edition
Sean Hu’s “Ocean Elegy: The Tragedies of Mudan and Ryukyu,” a seven-years-in-the-making documentary exploring a pivotal 1870s incident that reshaped East Asian geopolitics, will world premiere as the opening film of Japan’s Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival.
New Zealand director Miki Magasiva’s “Tinā” is set to close the festival with its Asian premiere. The drama, which marks Magasiva’s directorial debut, follows a Samoan mother (Anapela Polata’ivao) who finds healing through teaching music after losing her daughter in the Christchurch earthquake. The film has already gained attention at festivals including Hawaii, Palm Springs and Perth.
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The competitive Pacific Film section features 10 films spanning multiple territories. Masakazu Kaneko’s “River Returns” (Japan) blends fantasy and tradition in a 1958-set drama about a boy’s spiritual journey to halt destructive typhoons. South Korean filmmaker Ryu Yeon-su makes her debut with “Boy in the Pool,” exploring childhood loneliness through the story of a competitive swimmer. Taiwan’s contribution comes from Golden Horse winner Lau Kek-huat with “From Island to Island,” a documentary examining World War II’s impact on Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule.
“Tale of the Land,” an Indonesian-Filipino-Taiwanese-Qatari co-production directed by Loeloe Hendra Komara, follows a Dayak girl’s story in Borneo, having already secured Busan’s Fipresci Award. Malaysian director James Lee’s “Next Stop, Somewhere,” a Malaysia-Taiwan co-production, weaves parallel narratives of two souls seeking freedom across continents. From the U.S., Zoe Eisenberg’s “Chaperone,” winner of Slamdance’s Grand Jury Award for Breakouts, chronicles a free spirit’s complicated connection with a young athlete.
Native Hawaiian filmmaker Alika Tengan brings “Molokai Bound,” expanding his acclaimed short into a feature about a parolee’s journey to reconnect with his family. New Zealand’s Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu presents “We Were Dangerous,” which earned honors at SXSW and explores New Zealand’s dark history of eugenics through the story of two Māori teens. Canadian director Yuqi Kang’s “7 Beats Per Minute” documents record-breaking freediver Jessea Lu’s extraordinary journey. Rounding out the competition is Franco García Becerra’s “Through Rocks And Clouds” (Peru-Chile), a Berlin Generation KPlus honoree following an eight-year-old Andean shepherd boy.
The festival’s expanded nine-day program unfolds across multiple Okinawa venues including Tenbusu Naha Hall and Sakurazaka Theatre. New programming strands include Director in Focus honoring Māori filmmaker Mike Jonathan, Pacific Film Showcase, and Okinawa Panorama, spotlighting regional cinema. A new Islands in Focus strand debuts with a spotlight on New Caledonia, showcasing five films that explore the territory’s recent independence referendum and ongoing colonial legacy. The program includes Terence Chevrin’s “Referendumbs” and Florence Arthuys’ documentary “Referendum 2020: What Comes Next?”
The festival has also expanded its industry components with a pitching forum and panel discussions aimed at connecting local filmmakers with international professionals. Additionally, this year marks the introduction of a short film category within the Pacific Film Competition.
The sophomore edition runs Feb. 22-March 2.
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