Tokyo: ‘Ainu Puri’ director Takeshi Fukunaga for raising awareness among the Ainu people

As he basked in the glory of his record 18 wins at the Emmy Awards ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in September, Japanese director Takeshi Fukunaga was covered in mud and sweat in a small village in Hokkaido. He was there with a small crew to shoot the bear ritual of the indigenous Ainu people of Japan’s northernmost islands, which was being performed for the first time in decades.

Fukunaga plans to use the footage for a short film as a follow-up to his documentary ( ), which is being screened at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. Both the documentary and the short film are a far cry from the big-budget, large-scale productions he experienced at FX and Max’s, as he was the only Japanese-born director to helm episodes of both popular series. What did Fukunaga seems to move between the two worlds largely without conflict, appreciating each for what they bring.

“Independent filmmaking has always felt like home to me,” Fukunaga said in an interview during the Tokyo Film Festival. “It’s more freeing, and I’m much closer to the cast and crew.”

But he admits that his experience on tentpole projects “kind of upgraded my skills as a director” and that the financial rewards allowed him to pursue his passion projects and return to his roots. give The new documentary is one such labor of love.

“I was born and raised in Hokkaido, but I never had the chance to learn about Ainu. Even when there were Ainu children in class, we didn’t know how to talk about it,” he said. Fukunaga explained.

Studying filmmaking in America Fukunaga found that almost everyone there understood what happened to Native Americans, while Japanese awareness of the plight of the Ainu people, an indigenous ethnic group that lived in the northern Living in Japan, there was very little. Feeling a “sense of shame”, Fukunaga resolved to address this as best he could through film.

The story of the Ainu is reminiscent of indigenous peoples elsewhere: lost land, language, culture and rights. “Indigenous people around the world are perhaps the most vulnerable to capitalism,” Fukunaga said.

It doesn’t shy away from these facts, but it’s full of humanity and humor, thanks in large part to the engaging presence of Shigaki Amanai, his family, and the local community. Amanai revived traditional Ainu salmon fishing a decade ago, a practice almost lost to modernity, as part of his efforts to preserve and advance the ways of his people. Can do anything. But he and his friends aren’t afraid to make fun of themselves when they use plastic instead of handmade materials for their fish. Amanai’s standard offering to the sacred Ainu god of fire is a lighted cigarette.

There are inevitably more serious moments. Amanai questioned why he should get a special fishing permit from the authorities, a centuries-old practice on land that dates back to when he took over the island in 1869. World War II Between Japan and Russia On the Kuril Islands north of Hokkaido, the Ainu, the original inhabitants, “are not even part of the conversation.”

Fukunaga’s film journey with Eno began with his second feature (2020), for which he used local people instead of professional actors.

The Ainu cultural touchpoint for many Japanese people is popular manga and anime (a kamoi is an Ainu spirit, similar to the Japanese kami). A live-action version released that year featured Japanese actors portraying the Ainu. “This is unacceptable by international standards,” Fukunaga said.

Determined not to romanticize or fetishize his subjects, Fukunaga admits he struggles during the editing process, and doesn’t always get the calls right.

After filming Amanai and his son performing a sword dance in traditional Ainu clothing, usually reserved for special rituals and ceremonies, he decided to cut the scene, worried that it would staged. But when Fukunaga showed him the edit, Amanai wanted to know what happened to the dance sequence, which he particularly liked.

“It was a moment that reminded me that not everything is about stereotypes or authenticity,” Fukunaga reflected. “Sometimes it’s just because it looks cool.”

Amanai and her son brought some of that to the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Film Festival, where they walked the red carpet in Ainu kimonos, which Fukunaga believes was a festival first.

“It was a very special moment,” he added with a proud smile.