SUZU monochrome
-Drama
Director: Seiichi Hishikawa
Country: Japan
Length: 23min 15s
Language: Japanese
Subtitle: English
Completion: 2013
The project began with the passion of craftsmen of Takaoka Traditional Industry Youth Association to bring excitement to their hometown, Takaoka. The short film illustrates dignity and anxiety of craftsmanship in local areas in Japan. It aims to spread the reality of Japanese craftsmen to the rest of the world and to let people know about Takaoka, the city of Japanese traditional arts and crafts. The story is about a couple, a sissy husband Takashi and a devoted wife, Suzu.
Director: Seiichi Hishikawa
Writer: Seiichi Hishikawa
Producer: Takashi Ueno
DP: Seiichi Hishikawa
Editor: Seiichi Hishikawa, Yutaka Ohara
Cast: Maki Murakami, Kazuma Narimoto, people from Takaoka-city
Produced by Takaoka Traditional Industry Youth Association and Drawing
and Manual Inc.
Director's message:
This short film is my collaboration with Takaoka Traditional Industry Youth Association. Instead of just making a promotional video, we wanted to created something that stays with the heart as we introduce Takaoka. Therefore, we decided to produce s short film to tell the story.
Film Festival Appearance:
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WA!Japan FILM FESTIVAL2014（Firenze、Milano）
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Short Short Film Festival and Asia 2014
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The 9th Sapporo Short Film Festival
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Honolulu Festival 'Sapporo Short Fest. Special Movie'（Honolulu）
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Cinema Travel presented by Short Short Film Festival and Asia
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Forest Film Festival 2015
About the filmmaker
Seiichi Hishikawa, Filmmaker, D.O.P, Art Director, Photographer
Born in Tokyo in 1969. Started his career in the music industry. Went to the U.S. in 1991. Moved base to New York. Transitioned to the visual industry as an engineer in every genre from TV programs to motion picture production while in New York. After returning to Japan, went fully into production, and after gaining experience in video production, stage direction and space creation, participated in the foundation of the "Drawing and Manual" Design Studio in 1997. In 2009, despite only having graduated from high school, he took a position as Professor of Department of Science of Design at Musashino Art University. In 2011 “Xylophone”, a commercial he directed for NTT Docomo, won three awards at the Cannes Lions. This film has been screened at international conferences such as TED thereafter.
