Inland Sea

Inland Sea is a moving and visually stunning 2018 documentary film directed by renowned Japanese director Kazuhiro Soda. The film places viewers in the heart of Ushimado, a picturesque coastal village set in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The film features an ensemble cast, including Waichiro Murata, Kumiko Komiyama, and Kiyoko Kashiwagi, who share captivating insights about life in this aging seaside town. The Inland Sea is no conventional documentary; rather, it captures the raw beauty, innocence, and vulnerability of the human experience through the lives of the remarkable individuals who inhabit this town.

Center stage in the documentary is Waichiro Murata, an 86-year-old fisherman committed to his job, who prefers the vastness of the sea to governmental restrictions on fishing. His humble fishing boat becomes a conduit for the audience into the timeless charm of Ushimado, and a reminder of the environment's vulnerability. Murata's lifestyle contrasts vividly with the modern world, offering an alternative perspective on the notions of success, happiness, and fulfilment. His arduous daily routines, interwoven with breathtaking scenery choices, perfectly encapsulate the simple yet fulfilling existence of this rural corner of Japan.

Meanwhile, Kumiko Komiyama and Kiyoko Kashiwagi also shine in the film with the quieter stories of their lives in Ushimado. Kumiko, serving as the town's newspaper deliverer, is a living emblem of the resilience and tranquillity that define Ushimado. Her journeys through town epitomize its collective spirit, a mixture of paper-thin melancholy and steadfast resistance to the inevitability of change. Kiyoko, on the other hand, operates the town's oldest supermarket, a bustling center of activity and socialization, which brings an overwhelming sense of human connection amidst the quiet desolation that is slowly engulfing Ushimado.

Director Kazuhiro Soda's technique of ‘Observational Film’, characterized by his adherence to no script, no research, and no meetings before filming, allows the essence of this quiet town to be unravelled organically, resulting in an immersive, sensitive portrayal of the community’s soul. Each conversation, each moment, leads to a deeper understanding of Ushimado, spiraling into a moving reflection on change, abandonment, and the passing of time, as seen through Soda’s empathetic lens.

What sets Inland Sea apart is its largely unfiltered exploration of the human experience. It captures life as it happens, weaving together a tapestry of daily mundane chores and poetic philosophies, showcasing the relentless struggle against a tide of times they seem powerless to resist.

Inland Sea encapsulates the duality that defines Ushimado: the beauty and sorrow, simplicity and complexity, continuity and change. The camera lingers on scenes of serene silences, echoing waves against the rugged coastline, scenes of sunsets melting into the inland sea offering a dash of nostalgia and a sense of tranquility that contrasts sharply with the fast-paced distractions of modern life.

Subtle yet powerful, Soda’s idiosyncratic style creates a multi-dimensional experience that is more than just a portrait of a vanishing Japan. Instead, it sees human lives through a kaleidoscopic lens, offering profound insights into time, space, and the fragile beauty of existence. It chronicles disappearing ways of life, compelling its viewers to contemplate on societies' relentless march towards progress, often leaving behind threads of humanity and traditions that are integral to our identity.

In the end, Inland Sea serves as a love letter to Ushimado. The candid, up-close-and-personal conversations with the town’s inhabitants are juxtaposed with broader societal themes. It’s a celebration of tenacity, of human connection and the inherent dignity of life in all its complexity. All the while, it invites the audience to ponder over the repercussions of relentless modernity.

Inland Sea has an elegiac quality that will resonate with an audience seeking a thought-provoking, deeply humanistic narrative. It's an invitation to witness a small, vanishing world through the eyes of those who call it home, and a reminder of the poignant beauty that lies in everyday life, even as it quietly slips away. These themes, captured with evident affection and respect by Soda, make Inland Sea an enriching and unforgettable journey into a corner of the world that the wave of time might soon forget.