Eiko Soga

Centred on an exchange of knowledge and experience between an indigenous Ainu elder and a filmmaker during the early stages of her pregnancy, Scent Line on a Moving Mountain pays close attention to the sensations of a type of ecological relationship that is no longer commonly practiced in Hokkaido, Japan. We see the two women foraging and cooking together, finding abundance where it isn’t immediately apparent.

The film introduces Ainu music performed by a group of artists called Marewrew, who engage with the traditional style of Ainu songs, also sharing insights into the Ainu’s traditional world view through Marewrew’s perspective and the contemporary challenges that they face.