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Tales from Okinawa is a short film program spotlighting emerging indie filmmakers from the Okinawa Islands.

From agriculture, bullfighting, and coffee cultivation, these three films will take you across Okinawa through the lens of their uplifting characters and their connection with nature.

Extended introduction and photo presentation by Victoria Davis, a member of the Toronto Kyuyokai トロント球陽会 (Okinawan Kenjinkai). Victoria will be speaking about her personal connections with the various locations and landmarks in Okinawa that are featured in the films.

Many thanks to the Okinawa Film Office for their support in providing us with these films.

This screening is a part of our ongoing Keep Dancin’, Okinawa! film series, celebrating Okinawan stories, culture, and history.

Bullfight Girl
闘牛女子

Directed by MAEHIRA Hitoshi • 2021 • Drama • 19 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles

Tomomi, the protagonist of the film, has lived with cows since her parent’s generation. She is fascinated by cows and is struggling to appeal to the bullfighting town. Yoshiki, who aims to become a farrier (craftspeople who trims and shoes horse hooves) by living with Tomomi, asks questions about her relationship with cows. Based on the true story of KUDAKA Yukie, a photographer who published the photo book “Bullfighting Girls.”





Such A Night of Chrysanths Lights
こんな、菊灯りの夜に

Directed by MATSUDA Sho • 2021 • Comedy / Drama • 20 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles

Set in the light-bulb illuminated chrysanthemum fields of Sunset Farm Okinawa in Yomitan Village, Such A Night of Chrysanths Lights is a comedy that focuses on the story of a young man Teppei who is engaged in agriculture, and his childhood friend Satsuki who has returned to his hometown.





DAWN
陽いづる

Directed by MATSUI Ryo • 2023 • Drama • 19 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles

Mocha, who works on a coffee plantation, has been deaf since birth. The villagers calmly support Mocha in her daily life.

Through the nature and people of Higashi Village, as well as the daily life of a deaf-mute woman, DAWN depicts the beauty of living in a village that is unaffected by a world that demands change.