A press conference for the Japanese film “River Returns,” directed by Masakazu Kaneko, was held on Friday, 28 November at Honar Shahr Aftab Cineplex in Shiraz as part of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival. Mayumi Fukuhara, one of the film’s producers, represented the project in the absence of the director. The film competes in the International Competition section.
“River Returns” is set in 1958 in a mountain village by the river, where young Yucha discovers that the spirit of a drowned girl stirs the storms, intertwining his fate with local legends. The film features Sanetoshi Ariyama, Asuka Hanamura, Yo Aoi, Toshie Negishi, and Ken Yasuda, and was produced by Mayumi Fukuhara and Koji Matsumoto.
At the outset of the session, Fukuhara explained that the story draws on ancient Japanese folklore, tales that risk being forgotten in the age of modern technology. She noted, “This film is an effort to remind the younger generation of these folk stories. In Japan, as industrialization progresses, nature is gradually disappearing. Seventy percent of Japan is mountainous, so just a short distance from the city, one can find breathtaking natural landscapes. The location where we filmed offered extraordinary natural beauty.”
Fukuhara added that Kaneko, a Tokyo native, has spent his life in a major urban environment and has directed three feature films, all deeply focused on nature, particularly water. “He has a special sensitivity to this subject,” she said, highlighting the director’s ongoing engagement with environmental themes.
Concluding her remarks, Fukuhara reflected on the local support during production: “We shot the film in a Japanese prefecture, and the local community helped us tremendously. Films made in Japan rarely have happy endings, and the society faces many challenges; people are not as connected as they once were. I wanted to make a film with a positive conclusion so that audiences would feel uplifted.”
The 43rd Fajr International Film Festival is currently taking place in Shiraz, bringing together filmmakers, critics, and cinema enthusiasts from across the globe. The festival features a rich program of screenings, press conferences, and cultural events, highlighting both Iranian and international cinema.
