Experiencing Interruptions?

Danchi Woman

What happens when a Japanese octogenarian is forced to move after 30 years of life in one place?

85 years old and never married, Shizu has spent the past 3 decades living in one “Danchi” - the Japanese word for public housing - and filling it with the lifetime of souvenirs that have always kept her company. When the danchi is scheduled for demolition, Shizu and neighbors must say goodbye to their homes, and move into newer danchi that are too small to hold all of Shizu’s momentos.

This intimate documentary captures Shizu’s sense of humor, and profound nostalgia, as she sorts through relics of her past, and chooses which memories she must fit into her new home, and which ones she can let go of.

  • Akiko SUGIMOTO
    Director
  • Seiko KATO
    Producer
  • Alexandre BARTHOLO
    Producer
  • Kazuhiro TERAUCHI
    Camera
  • Naoshi YAMAMOTO
    Camera
  • Azusa YAMAZAKI
    Editing
  • Alexandre CAS
    Editing
  • Yo TAKAHASHI
    Assistant Editing
  • Keiko SUGAWARA
    Still Photography
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Danchi Woman
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 6 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 29, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    Japan
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    35mm HDV
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • ZA-KOENJI Documentary Festival Vol.10
    Tokyo
    Japan
    February 11, 2019
    Tokyo Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Hamamatsu Film Festival, Japan
    Hamamatsu
    Japan
    November 10, 2018
    Shizuoka Pref. Premiere
    Official Screening
  • Cape Town International Film Market and Festival
    Cape Town
    South Africa
    African Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Aichi International Women's Film Festival 2018
    Nagoya
    Japan
    September 7, 2018
    Japan Premiere
    Grand Prize, Feature Film Section
  • The 15th EBS International Documentary Film Festival
    Seoul
    Korea, Republic of
    August 25, 2018
    Asian Premiere
    Official Screening
  • Nippon Connection Film Festival
    Frankfurt
    Germany
    June 1, 2018
    European Premiere
    Official Screening
Distribution Information
  • IMPLEO Inc.
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Akiko SUGIMOTO

Born in 1979 in Tokyo. After graduating from university, SUGIMOTO worked for a television production company. After working in various industries outside the visual industry for several years, she studied scriptwriting. Since 2008, SUGIMOTO has visited Seaside Road Danchi apartment complex in Yokohama and completed her own independent film, “Seaside Road Danchi Story” in 2009. The film was screened at the “CREAM International Festival for Arts and Media Yokohama” and independently mainly in Yokohama. SUGIMOTO is interested in recording and presenting some of the “lives” of people in “housing complexes” in Japan and the world.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“Living alone in old age?”, “With or without family?”, “Living in rental housing forever?”, etc. I was forced to face these issues during the filming of the lives of these women. No one can escape from aging. What’s more, injuries and accidents sometimes change the living environment of people. This film follows the replacement of some apartment buildings in Yokohama. This topic is a local issue, but it also includes themes such as the life of women and rental housing for senior citizens. I believe these themes are common issues for people all over the world.
I was particularly fascinated by Shizu UCHICOSHI and the unbelievable number of cardboard boxes she had. For people of my generation, who are showing increased interest in minimalism and decluttering trends, the idea of our parents and grandparents keeping everything without throwing anything away is an extremely difficult one to accept and understand. It should be obvious that in order to live a happy life, one must get rid of as much garbage as possible and only keep the bare minimum.
But wait…is that really true? Were the contents of all her boxes really garbage? I would like each of the viewers to make that judgement for themselves through this documentary.