北海道の先住民族「アイヌ」の今を追ったドキュメンタリーショートムービー第一弾。
舞台は、約150人のアイヌが暮らす阿寒湖アイヌコタン（村）。
阿寒摩周国立公園内に位置し、酸素濃度が日本で一番高いといわれる地で彼らは暮らす。
歌、踊り、木彫り、狩猟、採集、儀式、独自の文化と伝統を守り、紡ぎ、今なお継承を続けている。
阿寒湖の四季を通して、さまざまな世代のアイヌにスポットを当てて描いていく
シリーズ一本目のキャストは、阿寒湖アイヌ現役最高齢の唄い手、日川菊子。
その独特の歌唱法は、アイヌ独自のテクニックで真似できる者も少ない。
彼女は何を想い歌うのか、彼女の日常を通して、アイヌの今を記録に残す。
The first of in a series of 4 films about the modern day Ainu,
indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan, *The Elder* shares an intimate
glimpse into the lives of the 120 indigenous people that reside in the
Ainu Kotan on Lake Akan. Through the singing and daily routine of
Kikuko Hikawa, we follow ‘Kiku-san’ though her village as we learn
that she is the oldest and one of the last traditional Ainu singers in
this community. For centuries the Ainu traditions have been shared
through storytelling singers like her – and even in *The Winter* of
her life – Kiku-san sees it as her duty to share the ancient stories of Ainu culture.
Credits
Directed By:
Tim Kemple
Executive Produced By: Donk ENTERPRISE, Inc.
Created By: Daisuke Oguchi + Diasuke Sakamoto
Produced By: Aimee Tetreault
Editorial By: Jay MacMillan
Featuring
Kikuko Hikawa
Midori Toko
Akane
Crew
Cinematography -Tim Kemple + Blake Hendrix Production Manager /
Translator – Megumi Kanazawa Ainu Supervisor – Shusei Toko Original
Score – Jeremy Wallace Maclean Color Correction – Tim Kemple Sound Mix / Design – Ridgeline Sound Titles / GFX – Kendall Sweeney
Special thanks
Maeda Ippoen Foundation
Lake Akan Ainu Kotan
Lake Akan Ainu Theater Ikor
Poronno
Ajishin
Tokimeki
A Camp4 Collective + Donk ENTERPRISE Film Presented by the City of kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan