Story

Senkotsu is a traditional that has more or less become extinct today, except on Aguni Shima island which lies to the west of the Okinawa Islands. It is said that when those who are buried in "the other world" located on the west side of Aguni Shima island are dug up at the time they have become bone and no flesh, and their bones are washed by hand by those related to them, they are able to finally bid farewell to "this world".
The Shinjo family live in Aguni Village on Auguni Shiman, a remote island of Okinawa. The eldest son Tsuyoshi Shinjo (Michitaka Tsutsui) returns back to his hometown on Aguni Shima to "wash the bones" of his mother Emiko (Mariko Tsutsui). Back home, his father Nobutsuna Shinjo 'Eiji Okuda) lives by himself.His life is in a mess, and he has started to drink secretly after supposed to have stopped due to his wife's death. Also returning home is eldest daughter Yuko (Ayame Misaki) who works as a hairdresser in Nagoya and is also facing various hardships in life herself. The "senkotsu" ceremony helps the family members face themselves and unite ....

Notes

After his success with his first long movie as a film director "FURIMUN IN OKINAWA" (09）, director Toshiyuki Teruya (Garage Sale Gori) has been actively releasing various works. This short film "Born Bone Boon" has won two awards Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2017 Official Competition Japan Award and SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-CINEMA FESTIVAL 2017 Japan Audience Award. Depicting the ties of a family born through the traditional "senkotsu" (bone washing) ceremony" and the baton that passes "life" from parent to child, it will be shown as a world premiere in the 2018 "10th OKINAWA INTERNATIONAL MOVIE FESTIVAL".
The "senkotsu ceremony" is the custom of cleansing the bones of the dead in seawater or sake, etc. after burial in the ground or open air, and then burying the bones again. This film portrays how the various emotions of the disconnected family members slowly unite through the process until the family ritual "Senkotsu", and how "life" is relayed from parents to children who are related by blood and joined like a chain.
Featuring an all-star cast including famous Japanese actor Eiji Okuda, strong actor indispensable to Japanese movies Michitaka Tsustui, and Ayame Misaki who proudly played the lead role in the Cannes International Film Festival entry movie "Hikari", this is a comical yet heartwarming family drama with a touching ending.

Cast

Eiji Okuda
Michitaka Tsutsui
Ayame Misaki
Yoko Oshima
Akira Sakamoto
Kyutaro Suzuki
Mariko Tsutsui

Director・Work Data