Kei Tanaka

Feature documentary debut of 29 year old director Kei Tanaka. In the Japanese town of Kawasaki, elderly residents who have lived hard lives are now facing their own death at a public housing complex called “Danchi“. The young director explores and depicts the ageing population in Japan by focusing on the personal lives of few individuals who live quietly on the outskirts of society. While some of the protagonists chose to interact and establish friendships with their fellow elderly residents, others prefer to spend the rest of their years in solitary.

A documentary that chronicles the daily life of Yuzuna Suzuki, a nurse who was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer at 27 years old.

ABC Childcare Center offers 24-hour childcare in Okubo, neighboring the Kabukicho nightlife district in Shinjuku. The facility has tried out numerous unique experiments including nutrition education through meals prepared with organic ingredients, treatment for kids with ADHD, and after-school care for kids after they graduate from daycare. The camera also captures the reality of 24-hour childcare centers in Hokkaido, Niigata and Okinawa.

Tobishima used to be a prosperous sea transportation hub in the Sea of Japan, but now it is a quiet island with a small and aging population. The only junior high school student in the island will graduate this year, and his school, Tobishima Elementary and Junior High School, will be closed at the end of this school year. This film captures the daily lives of the various people living on Tobishima and follows the activities of those who are struggling to maintain the community and connect the island to the future while facing the harsh reality of the situation.