Film Info
The Town of Whales

Film Information

Exhibition Title	The Town of Whales
Original Title	Kujira no machi
Director	Keiko Tsuruoka
Country
Year	2012
Format	HD
Colour	Color
Duration	70'

Cast:

Momoko Tobita, Sui Katano, Sakiko Yamaguchi, Kentaro Sato, Masaru Nakashima

Credits:

G, E: Keiko Tsuruoka
F: Kenta Sasaki
S: Noriko Takeuchi
P: Keiko Tsuruoka, Sui Katano

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Synopsis

How does one capture that moment in which high school is over? The intensity of adolescent feelings is boosted (even more) when faced with the end of a phase and the uncertainty of what is to come. Japanese cinema has several examples that focus on this transition, like the extraordinary ending of Linda Linda Linda. The Town of Whales, by debutant filmmaker Keiko Tsuruoka, focuses on that moment to tell the story of two girls and a boy, their romances, a search, and a journey. Will any of these things bear fruit? The director’s intelligence and sensitivity and the subtle way in which she deals with emotions that are out in the open allows her to respond in a kind and fluid way. Her ability to handle melancholic comedy and throw some references to Kitano’s A Scene at the Sea surely comes from portraying a world that she knows and feels close to. The Town of Whales was the director’s graduation work. And it clearly marks the beginning of a more than promising career. JPF