Shoko Toda (Japan)
.
.
Video title:
A growing white stone
2008, 14min34
The film was inspired from my experiment of staying in Sarajevo every summer for 2003~2007.
I made this narrative film on the theme of flowing identity between cultures.
This story is of one Japanese woman.
Here is synopsis of story.
“I have visited in Sarajevo, BiH every summer. The first time to visit there is already 5yars ago. At small grave stone maker’s shop I found a gravestone which had the name as same as mine. The stone maker with a beard like a lion said “She ordered this stone, but she has not come to take it for years.” Then I began to investigate about her.For these years I have met people who said to know her. I talked with them and took their photos.
One day I thought she wanted another gravestone or something..
I start to design new gravestone for her and me.
I found the photo album that seemed to belong to her.
When Looking photos of her summer life, I felt to smell of green plant, so I imaged that and designed stones.
With new information about her, the gravestone drawn on notebooks has been changing again and again. One winter day I was in another country. I was surround with loud explosions of fireworks and firecrackers.
Those intense explosions didn’t stop for 3days and nights.
It is a ritual to celebrate a happy new year on sky and ground.
The gravestones drown by me were getting to spread like a fireworks.
In Sarajevo we can see fireworks on the opening day of the film festival.
I have heard that she always was looking forward to seeing that.
I decide to shot a firework for her and me in another far country.
When I was in roar of fireworks I was remind of those white gravestones.
In the course of time I come not to know where I stand on.”
This video participates in
CologneOFF IV – Here We Are!
4th edittion of Cologne Online Film Festival 2008
OFF program