ABSTRACT
Forgotten by 1950s Japanese industrialisation, a family labours on a tiny, barren island. The film documents a year ofintentionally tedious repetition and arduous tasks: rowing to get water; carrying water buckets up the steep slope; and watering crops. Two events interrupt this labour: a joyous excursion to sell a fish the children have caught; and the sudden death of the older son. Lacking any dialogue, the soundtrack alternates between ambient sound and repetitive, sonorous music. Directed by Shindō Kaneto and shot entirely on location in 1960, with a shoestring budget and minimal crew, Hadaka no shima (The Island) won the Grand Prix at the Moscow Film Festival.
