The Island

In the centre of Seto-Nakai, the Japanese Inland Sea, lies a tiny 500-metre-long island, inhabited by a man, a woman and two children. Without using any dialogues, the filmmaker depicts their struggle with nature, as water is scarce. The harvest of grain and sweet potatoes often fails because the soil is parched by the blazing sun. Their main chore is to get water from the nearest island. The day when one of the sons catches a big sea bream is a happy one. The family sells the fish in a big city and can then afford to stock up on provisions. Some time later a tragedy occurs. The eldest son is seized with fever; the same night he dies. The mother is on the verge of insanity and starts pulling up withered plants. The next day, however, they just have to get fresh water again.