ITAKO :: Visions
Nakamura Take is the eldest itako still alive. When she was 3 she lost her sight because of a measles and so, when she was 13 she started her training. Matsuda Hiroko, instead, chose to become a shaman for vocation and devotion to her healer, that helped her a lot when she was child.
Itako are female shamans, traditionally blind, that live in most far away Northern Honsu, in the Aomori prefecture, in Japan. At the insistence of a relative, by a ritual made of prayers and chants, they create a connection to the departed, a communication with the afterlife.
Twice yearly, on mount Ozore, the fear mountain, the itako reach the buddhist temple over there. From the whole Japan, worshippers, tourists and curious are attracted by the kuchiyose, in which the spirits of departed loved ones, or the never born baby, are called to return to speak with them.
In this context rises a thought on the evolution of religion, on the importance of believing beyond the reason and on how the materialism is completely useless when human fragility faces to death.
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Edmondo PerroneDirector
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Marianna ZanettaWriter
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Edmondo PerroneWriter
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Edmondo PerroneProducer
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Nakamura TakeKey Cast
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Matsuda HirokoKey Cast
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Kimura FujikoKey Cast
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Yoko SunagoKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Shamanism, death, japan, anthropology
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Runtime:52 minutes 54 seconds
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Completion Date:November 29, 2016
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Production Budget:5,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Italy
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Country of Filming:Italy, Japan
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Language:English, Italian, Japanese
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Shooting Format:HDV, FullHD
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No