The Ballad of Narayama

Section: Focus Japan
Title: Narayama bushikô
Director: Shohei Imamura
Cast: Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto, Tonpei Hidari, Aki Takejo
Duration: 2h 10m
Country: Japan
Year: 1983

Still strong at the age of 69, Orin prepares herself for an inevitable yet frightening ritual. In her village, where food is scarce, life is harsh and people are desperate and cruel. Anyone who lives for 70 years is hauled to the mountaintop by their children and left to die in the dead of winter. Orin is prepared to accept her fate, but she also has one last, all-important task: she must find a suitable wife for her son, Tatsuhei.