22st(2020)
Water Child
트레일러 재생
Katelyn REBELO, Kira DANE
- United States
- 2019
- Asian Premiere
- 15min
- DCP
- color
- Documentary
Asian Premiere
abortion / essay / cultural difference
SYNOPSIS
Synopsis
In Japanese, there's a special word for an unborn life. Mizuko, which means "water child" is used to refer to both miscarried and aborted pregnancies. In addition to this word, there's a Buddhist ritual for grief called mizuko kuyo that allows women to metaphorically return their water children to the sea. Told through the Japanese American filmmaker's personal story of abortion in the US, Water Child is a partially animated, intimate reckoning with the impact of this cultural context.
Program Note
How should we describe the being whose death is predestined at the moment of its birth? Although there are smooth medical procedures in the US, there is not a proper name for it. The director's body and mind moves between the present and the past, and between the US and Japan. The film uses emotional scenes and constantly moving water imagery in order to confront the meaning of life. The film speaks from the heart to the 'you' that cannot be met. [MIN Jeeyeon]
Director
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Katelyn REBELOKatelyn REBELO
Katelyn REBELO is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn. Her work sits at the intersection of documentary & experimental film, often exploring stories that reimagine concepts of femininity, politics, and personal freedom. Most recently she co-directed, animated, and shot Mizuko supported by Tribeca Film Institute & the Sundance Ignite Program. The film received special jury awards at SXSW, IDFA and GLAS Animation Festival. She is currently a fellow at Jacob Burns Film Center.
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Kira DANEKira DANE
Kira DANE is a filmmaker from New York currently based in Nara, Japan. She's most interested in telling stories that dig for nuance in the overlooked corners of topics. With a background in illustration, Kira often utilizes animation and experimental form in her work. Her short animated documentary Mizuko was supported by Tribeca Institute’s If/Then Short Documentary Program. The film received Special Jury Awards at SXSW and IDFA. Kira was a 2019 fellow of the Sundance Ignite Program.
