Kitsutsuki to Ame (The Woodsman and the Rain)

Kitsutsuki to Ame (The Woodsman and the Rain) is a 2012 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Shuichi Okita. The film follows the interaction between a novice film director and a local lumberjack in a remote mountain village.

Plot

The story centers on Koichi, a young and inexperienced film director who arrives in the mountain village of Yamamura with his production crew. As they attempt to film their project, the local villagers are recruited to assist. Among them is Katsuhiko, a 60-year-old lumberjack who becomes involved in the production process despite his initial reluctance.

Production

The film was directed by Shuichi Okita, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Fumio Moriya. Production began on March 29, 2011. The film was produced by Shiro Sasaki, Satoshi Arashi, and Tadaatsu Shundo, with cinematography by Yuta Tsukinaga. It was produced and distributed by Kadokawa Pictures.

Cast

• Koji Yakusho as Katsuhiko Kishi
• Shun Oguri as Koichi Tanabe
• Kengo Kora as Koichi Kishi
• Asami Usuda as Tamae Asou
• Kanji Furutachi as Torii
• Daisuke Kuroda as Shibata
• Kyusaku Shimada as Shinoda
• Yoshiyuki Morishita as Yoshioka
• Tsutomu Takahashi as Nomiya
• Mitsuru Hirata as Mitsuharu Goma
• Masato Ibu as Ishimaru
• Tsutomu Yamazaki as Keijiro Haba

Reception and Awards

The film had its world premiere at the 24th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 23, 2011, where it received the Special Jury Prize. It subsequently screened at various international film festivals, including the Nippon Connection festival, where it won the Nippon Cinema Award in 2012.