Two films that look at the issue of care for the elderly from two different perspectives. Haneda Sumiko made a film in the mid-1980s about an institution that pioneered a new approach to caring for people with dementia. It was intended as a promotional film for the retirement home, but the focus is on the lives and interactions of the elderly and their families. Satō’s montage film looks at personal images shot over several years as a husband’s film diary of his wife’s life with Alzheimer’s disease. It is an experimental film that focuses on the small gestures that show affection and care. 

痴呆性老人の世界 

(The World of Dementia)
Haneda Sumiko | 1986 | Japan |16 mm |84’ | Japanese spoken, English subtitles

Shot over a period of two years in an old people’s home, the film raises questions about the care of elderly people with dementia. Originally made as a promotional film commissioned by a pharmaceutical company, Haneda reworked her own film as a more personal effort to understand the lives of elderly women with dementia and the work of the nurses who care for them. This work initiated a series of films that Haneda made independently on issues of care and welfare policy in Japan. 

おてんとうさまがほしい 

(The Brightness of the Day a.k.a. I want the sun)
Satō Makoto | 1995 | Japan | 16 mm | 47’ | Japanese spoken, English subtitles

When lighting technician Watanabe Shō retired, his wife Tomiko started showing the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. In order to learn how to better accompany and care for her, he kept a film diary of her daily life. Documentary filmmaker Satō Makoto edited this film from years of footage shot by Watanabe, resulting in this moving exercise in intimacy and care. By focusing on the small, unnoticed details, the small everyday gestures, as well as the textures of the images, Satō’s extraordinary montage work evokes Watanabe’s tender love for Tomiko. 

With introductions by Ricardo Matos Cabo and Irene González-López.

This screening was presented in the retrospective dedicated to Haneda Sumiko’s work at the Jeu de Paume in 2022, curated by Ricardo Matos Cabo and Teresa Castro. With thanks to Teresa Castro, Alo Joekalda (National Film Archive of Japan), Irene González-López, HAMASAKI Yuko (Kiroku Eiga Hozon Centre), Keiko Homewood, MORIWAKI Chie, SADASUE Mayako (Motherbird) and SATŌ Tokue. Special thanks to HATA Takeshi.