Hong Kong-based Asian Shadows has taken international sales rights to Japanese documentary The Cats Of Gokogu Shrine, ahead of its world premiere in Berlin’s Forum section.
It is directed by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda who has screened several works in Forum including Zero, Inland Sea, Mental and Campaign. His latest follows the stray cats that live in an ancient Shinto shrine in the seaside resort town of Ushimado, Japan.
The Gokogu Shrine, also known as the Cat Shrine, is home to dozens of felines. Some residents take care of them while others complain about the mess they leave in the neighbourhood, which becomes an issue that divides the local community.
The film is a Japan-US production produced by Laboratory X, Inc, with Soda and Kiyoko Kashiwagi as producers.
Asian Shadows previously handled sales of Soda’s Zero, which won the Ecumenical jury prize at the Berlinale in 2020, and Mental, which won awards in Busan, Dubai, Miami, Hong Kong and Visions du Reel in 2009.
Like all his previous observational films, Soda followed his own “Ten Commandments” when making the feature, including no research, no meetings with subjects, no scripts, no pre-set theme or goal, no narration, and paying for his own production. He imposes these rules on himself to minimise pre-conceptions and make ways for unexpected discoveries.
“The Cats Of Gokogu Shrine allows us to enter the life of a traditional, pre-modern, disappearing community, and somehow to mirror ourselves,” said Maria Ruggieri, head of sales and acquisitions at Asian Shadows.
“Even in the smallest peaceful community there is an inconvenient truth to deal with, like the stray cats. They don’t follow the rules, as if nature had to adapt to our civilized mess. What we see in Soda’s film is a deep and compassionate snapshot of our actual struggle, if not our inability, to deal with our realities.”
The 74th Berlinale will run from February 15-25.
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