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The Woodsman and the Rain
A redneck lumberjack is recruited to work on a rookie producer's inane zombie movie, in this hilarious movie-making satire.
Comedy 2011 128 mins
Director: Shûichi Okita
Overview
Katsu (Koji Yakusho; 13 Assassins) plays a 60-year-old lumberjack who lives in a small, tranquil village in the Kiso mountains. When a film crew suddenly arrives to shoot a zombie movie, Katsu finds himself unwittingly roped into assisting the production and is increasing frustrated by the pushy crew, especially the young, seemingly spineless director Koichi (Shun Oguri; Sukiyaki Western Django).
However, an improbable friendship soon develops between Katsu and Koichi, as Katsu comes to see joy in the filmmaking process, and gradually helps Koichi to recover his sense of self. Soon, their bond inspires an unusual collaboration between the villagers and the film crew. Shûichi Okita's third film is both a sharp satire of the madness of movie-making and a sedately paced, charming character comedy; winner of a Special Jury Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2011.
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