The Cats of Gokogu Shrine [G] 130mins @ Wonthaggi [BCFFG]

The Cats of Gokogu Shrine
The Union Theatre, Wonthaggi

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Director: Kazuhiro Soda
Rating: [G]
Runtime: 130mins
Language / Subtitles: Japanese
Genre: Documentary

Warnings: Very mild themes

Description: In the picturesque small coastal town of Ushimado in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture, a Shinto shrine has become home to an ever-growing colony of stray cats. Enter Japanese documentarian Kazuhiro Soda, renowned for his self-imposed ''10 Commandments of Observational Documentary,'' which include doing no prior research, having no pre-set themes or goals, and shooting long takes without scripts, narration, or superimposed titles—all while filming everything himself. 
In his 10th observational documentary, Soda casts a calm and meditative eye over the shrine, its feline inhabitants, and their human neighbours. Set over the course of a year, he captures the lives of the cats as they adapt to the seasons, steal fish from local fishermen and interact with local residents, some of whom see the cats as a nuisance, while others view them as a potential tourist attraction for the town. The result is a charming and thoughtful portrait of the delicate balance between cats and humans in an ever-evolving world set over the backdrop of a little explored region of Japan. 
Kazuhiro Soda’s 10 Commandments of Observational Filmmaking‍: 1 No research. 2 No meetings with subjects. 3 No scripts. 4 Roll the camera yourself. 5 Shoot for as long as possible. 6 Cover small areas deeply. 7 Do not set up a theme or goal before editing. 8 No narration, super-imposed titles, or music. 9 Use long takes. 10 Pay for the production yourself.

Bass Coast Cultural Venues

The Union Theatre, Wonthaggi
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The Union Theatre, Wonthaggi is located at 96 Graham St, Wonthaggi.
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