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COTTON TOWN, PLEASE RESPOND

わたのまち、応答セヨ

By Gen IWAMA

FREE STONE PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD. - as SALES All rights, World

Documentary - Completed 2024

A latest documentary by Gen Iwama (“The Past is Always New, and the Futureis Always Nostalgic: Photographer Daido Moriyama"), shot in Gamagori, the town of Cotton. The camera follows the declining 'textile industry' in Japan and people who try to find a way to revive the industry there.

- Year of production
- 2024
- Genres
- Documentary, Second film
- Countries
- JAPAN
- Languages
- JAPANESE, ENGLISH
- Duration
- 99 mn
- Director(s)
- Gen IWAMA
- Synopsis
- In the once-thriving textile town of Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, known as the birthplace of Japan’s cotton culture, the local industry has been driven to decline by cheap imports. When a producer and director are tasked with reviving it through film, they are met with deep-rooted challenges and a pervasive sense of resignation. But the turning point comes when an 80-year-old craftsman declares, “Things can’t stay this way,” and begins weaving Mikawa cotton as his final life’s challenge.
  As the filmmakers follow his journey, the story evolves into a powerful exploration of why people create. The town begins to stir, awakening forgotten passions and igniting hope. The project eventually takes them to London, where the dedication and craftsmanship of Japanese makers captivate the world. In the end, the filmmakers are left speechless, moved by an unexpected and heartwarming conclusion. This is a passionate, inspiring story of perseverance and the transformative power of creation.