Kazoku no kuni

Viewed at CineMatsuri 2015. Korean Japanese Director Yonghi Yang's semi-autobiographical film is a wrenching experience. Perhaps, it is the most dramatic Japanese film of this Century so far. It depicts the incurable anguish of Korean Japanese families torn apart by forced exile ("repaternization") to either one of the Koreas at the end of WWII. Koreans brought to Japan during and before the war as well as those born in Japan lost their resident immigration or citizenship status, and had to return to their "homeland." Events in this movie clearly channel the current status of immigration in the USA. Direction and screenplay are excellent. Pauses (which usually turn out to be plain boring in the hands of other directors) are poignant and exploited to add immensely to the overall dramatic impact of the photo play. Leading actress Sakura Ando delivers some of the best dramatic acting seen on the Japanese screen today! Cinematography (1.78 aspect ratio, color) is overly jittery for hand-held cameras (used exclusively), and often distracting. Bolt-on music occurs during the opening and closing credits. Subtitles do not distort line reading, but are a bit on the long side. Only above-the-line names are translated in the credits (which seems to be an insult--perhaps not intended--to the many others who contributed to the making of this fine film). The audience applauded at the end. Highly recommended. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.