Gokogu No Neko (The Cats of Gokogu Shrine)

Kazuhiro Soda has earned an international reputation over the years as a particularly sensitive observer. After frustrating experiences with the strict format requirements in the TV sector, he turned to a particularly clear and reduced form of filmmaking. In his independently produced and self-financed films, he consistently dispensed with research, interviews, the use of music, and prefabricated narratives. His tenth film explores the coexistence of cats and humans in the small coastal town of Ushimado near Okayama, which is both a source of local political controversy and simple cinematic poetry. (Dennis Vetter)