Private Project

KOUNOTORI

Everyone can make miracles and change the world. Even children!
Often, it is really easy to become depressed when it comes to environmental disasters, and we believe that only miracles can save the situation.
KOUNOTORI is the story of Toyooka, a rural Japanese town, which was hit and flooded by an immense typhoon, causing great damage and despair.
It was Yuka Okada, a brave and creative 11 years old girl, who came up with a simple idea, inspired an amazing sustainable process, which turned Toyooka into a prosperous paradise.
In the process, they even succeeded to do the unbelievable, and to bring back to nature a rare species of stork called Kounotori, after dozens of years of extinction.
KOUNOTORI proves in a moving and inspiring way that we should never lose hope.

  • Ran Levy-Yamamori
    Director
  • Ran Levy-Yamamori
    Writer
  • Ran Levy-Yamamori
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Environment, inspiration, Children & Youth, Natural History
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Israel
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    English, Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ran Levy-Yamamori

Ran Levy-Yamamori is a documentary filmmaker, writer and producer based in Israel. Starting his career as a field biologist in Israel and Japan, Ran became involved in natural history television programs for major Japanese TV broadcasters including NHK, the National Japanese TV. His programs include documenting the unknown lives of desert wolves and wildlife, Nubian Ibex, Barn owls, vultures and others.
Ran is a writer and illustrator of numerous books about nature and environment. Since 2012 he has travelled around the world with one major purpose: to tell the empowering stories of people who dedicate their lives to protecting nature, and to saving wildlife and the environment.
Among his clients: BirdLife International, the Humane Society International, Whales and Dolphins Society, Vulture Conservation Foundation and others.
Ran is also a passionate educator, who shares his experiences through training educators and the younger generation in documenting nature by writing, drawing and filming in Japan, the EU, Africa and The Middle East.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When it comes to environmental issues, it is really so easy to become frustrated. The newspapers and TV news are always full of discouraging stories. I would like to share my experience of meetings with amazing people and success stories, those which rarely appear in the headlines. These are the stories of amazing and inspiring people, which can feel our hearts with hope that we can change the world. KOUNOTORI is a wonderful example of how children succeeded to save their town, bring hope and joy, and on the way also succeeded to save the Oriental White Storks from extinction.