Zen and Bones
  • Country/Area of ProductionJapan
  • Language of DialogueJapanese, English
  • Runtime127min
  • DirectorTakayuki Nakamura
  • Type of WorkFeature-Length Documentary
  • ProducerKaizo Hayashi, Asako Fujioka
Introduction:

 

Henry Mittwer is 93 years old and a monk living and meditating in Kyoto, Japan. Despite his age, he decided to produce a film about orphan girls as they pursued the quest of seeking their own mother. This fictional story is actually very similar to Henry's personal experience. Henry is a Japanese American, his father is an American and his mother is Japanese. At the age of 22, he went to the United States in search of his father. When he arrived in the United States, the Second World War broke out and he was sent to a concentration camp. After World War II, he returned to Japan and began to conceive and create a film of his own. He tried to find funds but he was unsuccesful with investors. As he grew older, his physical condition went from bad to worse. Director Nakamura Takahiro decided to tell Henry's story in the form of a documentary, using declassified data from the FBI and applying a variety of techniques such as animation and story reappearance. The Japanese director Takahiro’s epic documentary depicts Henry’s complex and exciting life, inviting viewers to enter a dusty history while attempting to heal the inner wounds of the characters.

 

 

Trailer