Event

Oyster Factory (Kaki Kouba)

The sixth in an ongoing series of observational documentaries by the New York based, Japanese director who abides a strict style of independent filmmaking involving no preconceived goal of shooting, no narration or music, no meetings with subjects in advance. Oyster Factory immerses us in the intimate labor of traditional small factory fishing and processing of oysters, work which is steeped in the history of local culture but is threatened by depopulation and globalization. The nimble and fastidious process is matched by a similar filmmaking technique, rich with small detail but revealing a broader portrait of Japan post-disaster. The question of how Chinese laborers will assimilate has global implications, and the near-palpable salinity of oyster shucking suggests sweat more than precious delicacy.