Izumi Yoshida

A film inspired by the events of 1920 that brought two nations closer: Poland and Japan. Told from a 10-year-old boy’s perspective, it presents the story of orphans who lost their families and had to rush into manhood.

The main character, a murderer, records images in his mind that he then uses to reconstruct his crimes. An abstract animated film that combines the genres of horror and psychological suspense.

The story of a Japanese diplomat, sometimes called the Schindler of Japan, and his life lading up to and after his decision to issue over 2,000 visas to Jewish refugees in Kaunas, Lithuania resulting in saving the lives of over 6,000 people. This is the story of a man who believed in doing all he could do for the benefit of his beloved Japan, including trying to keep her from becoming embroiled in a worldwide conflict he saw as inevitable. Along the way, he came face to face with the plight of the European Jews as they tried to escape the onslaught of the Nazi's and the rapidly advancing German army. Caught between the unbending policies of his country now bound by treaty with Nazi Germany and his awakening moral responsibilities, we follow his life from his early days in Manchuria to his eventual posting in Lithuania and his appointment with destiny which would forever brand him a hero.

First short film by Isumi Yoshida.

On the screen, divided into two symmetrical parts, we see almost identical, seemingly abstract images covered with black salt. After a while, we see the silhouette of a woman and a man in the shapes, and atmospheric music complements the image of their relationship. The images, painted with salt on both halves of the screen, begin to appear. However, at some point they may differ slightly, just as the images created by each partner differ in this relationship.

The film is an abstract visualization of Japanese haiku poems. The haiku used in "Kigo" show the value of the most common objects, natural phenomena whose beauty is the object of admiration. The impermanence and changeability of the seasons are elements of the changing universe - influencing our feelings, emotions and our admiration for impermanent and fleeting beauty.