Umitori: Robbing the Sea at Shimokita Peninsula

Dir. Noriaki Tsuchimoto. 1984, 103 mins. 16mm. In Japanese with English subtitles. Umitori introduces a tiny fishing village along Japan’s Shimokita Peninsula, which was rapidly developing into a government-ordained hotspot for nuclear energy and being considered as a permanent port for Mutsu, a nuclear-powered ship that had leaked radiation in its previous port. Focusing on the local fishermen and their stories, Tsuchimoto and his crew highlight the theft of their waters by giant business conglomerates, with locals no longer able to use the sea. Umitori muses on the threat of “societal progress” to small communities, and Tsuchimoto devotes attention to idiosyncrasies that emerge, such as the performances of a local stage actor as he recounts his family’s history, often in character as his mother. It is a rich encapsulation of Tsuchimoto’s work: clear-headed in its staredown of corporations and government, transcendent in its lighthearted openness to people.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.