SYNOPSIS
Zen Buddhist Itettsu Nemoto has made it his life’s mission to support individuals struggling with depression and suicidal behaviour. Operating from a small temple in the high mountains of Central Japan, he has helped hundreds of individuals rediscover the beauty of life after years in the darkness of limbo. MY SOUL DRIFTS LIGHT UPON A SEA OF TREES is the story of Itettsu Nemoto and three people who found life after limbo.
PRODUCTION INFO
CURRENT STATUS
Director: Heinrich Dahms
DOP: Alexander Dahms
Producer: Michele Aimé
Interpreter: Yurika Yotsumoto
Sound Design and Mix: Klink Audio
Video Finishing: Amator
Cast: Ittetsu Nemoto, Mocako Asano,
Kana Konuma, Mizuno
POST-PRODUCTION
DISTRIBUTION & SALES
Sound design
Klink http://www.klinkaudio.nl/site/
15 September – 15 November 2017
Colour correction/grading/finishing
20 November
No distribution deal has been locked at this time. If you represent a Dutch or international distribution company or sales agent, and would like to view the film online, please do not hesitate to contact us.
COLLABORATORS
FUNDING
Netherlands Film Fund
Development funding
MEDIAFONDS
cultural fund supporting high-quality artistic TV programs in the Netherlands
http://www.mediafonds.nl/english
NETHERLANDS FILM FUND INCENTIVE
promotes a healthy film production environment in the Netherlands
https://www.filmfonds.nl/en/international/netherlands-film-production-incentive
https://skywalker.drone-aerial-corps.com/
Skywalker Drone Aerial Corps Japan
PRESS
If you represent Dutch or international press, and would like to receive press materials, or view the film online, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you are attending IDFA 2018 and would like to interview the director or the three
Japanese protagonists, who will be attending IDFA 2018, please contact us.
screening
PARTNERS
Dutch public broadcaster KRO-NCRV
Commissioning Editor De Boeddhistische Blik LAETITIA SCHOOFS
FESTIVALS
The film will be screened on the Tricycle Buddhist platform throughout the month of May 2020 at:
https://tricycle.org/filmclub/
Two versions of the film are available on request:
- 92-minute Wide Screen version (including a DCP version for cinema screening)
- 65-minute Television version.
IDFA 2018 - Official Selection in category Best Dutch Documentary
https://www.idfa.nl
IDFA PREMIERE and SCREENING DATES
The time, date and venue of the IDFA premiere of our film has been announced.
The premiere is on Thursday, 15 November 2018, at the EYE Cinema 1 in Amsterdam.
The Director, Producer, Director of Photography and three of the Japanese cast will attend the
event: Ittetsu Nemoto, Mocca and Kana Konuma.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
15 Nov 2018 - 18:15 - EYE Cinema 1
Program section
IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary
Q&A
Director, Producer & Japanese Cast
Press & Industry Screening
16 Nov 2018 - 13:45 - Munt 13
Program section
IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary
Q&A
Director, Producer & Japanese Cast
Public screenings
17 Nov 2018 - 12:45 - Tuschinski 2
20 Nov 2018 - 18:30 - De Brakke Grond
23 Nov 2018 - 18:30 - Ketelhuis Zaal 1
Program section
IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary
Q&A
17 Nov - Director, Producer & Japanese Cast
20 Nov - Director, Producer & Japanese Cast
23 Nov - To be announced
STATUS UPDATE - October 2018
After a long and intense editing period, from June 2017 to August 2018, our film is now in the final stages and almost ready for release.
Two versions of the film will be available:
- 92-minute Wide Screen version on DCP
- 65-minute Television version.
Both versions of the film are currently in the video finishing stages.
We are delighted to announce that the 92-minute version of the film has been Officially Selected in the category Best Dutch Documentary for IDFA 2018 (https://www.idfa.nl) and will premiere during the first week of the festival.
Three of the film’s main protagonists - Ittetsu Nemoto, Kana Konuma and Mocca - will fly in from Japan to attend the film’s premiere and will be available for interviews with the press.
IDFA 2018 will be the venue of the film’s official international premiere and release.
STATUS UPDATE - November 2017
We are now nearing rough cut phase and post sound and mastering will be completed by end 2017.
Mocca and husband Yuta visited us in the Netherlands while on her European tour.
She has just released a new album!
See her websites here:
STATUS UPDATE - October 2017
We returned to the Netherlands at the beginning of May 2017, where spring had sprung and Heinrich needed to dive straight into the editing room. Finalizing and syncing the translation from Japanese (which we don't speak), took a lot longer than anticipated. Thank goodness for access to online translators and instant communication! As predicted, Heinrich didn't surface for a few months!
STATUS UPDATE - 01 JUNE 2017
We filmed in Japan for 2 months, returning to the Netherlands at the end of April 2017.
As predicted, we have a lot of footage to go through!
It was a good shoot: We focused on filming a few people with diverse interests and unusual stories: Mocca, Kana and Mizuno. Zen Buddhist priest, Ittetsu Nemoto is the central link to all three. And with Nemoto came others who wanted to share their personal stories with us.
The schedule was harsh: the four main participants who feature live within 2-hour drive of each other so we travelled a great deal from early morning, coming back to base late at night.
You know how it goes – the best light is at dawn and dusk and, apart from the organized daily schedule, something unexpected comes up and you just have to get it on camera! Which meant we worked 15 hour days, 6 day weeks for 2 months and came back feeling we got the best we could.
So we will merge all the stories of those we followed. We filmed them in their daily routine, their special events and as much of their lives as they would allow. And then we tried to complete our exhaustive shot list…
Near the end of the shoot we had a ‘drone day’ and were blessed with superb, weather and a two-man drone team who went the extra mile to cover, among other things, the cherry blossoms (see https://skywalker.drone-aerial-corps.com)
11 - 12
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