Director: Jeremy Perrin, Hélène Robert
Country: Japan, France
Year: 2021

Ten years ago, Japan was devastated by a tsunami, which some survivors say tore a hole in the veil between the living and dead. Zen priest Reverend Kaneda counsels people who believe they are possessed by the spirits of the drowned in this sensitive film about a community recovering from trauma.

Featured at Cinéma du Réel (2019), IDFA (2019), Salem Film Festival (2020), and DocsBarcelona (2020.)

This film was available to stream until midnight on Friday, April 2, 2021. Tricycle’s screening has ended, but you can find a French-language version of the film on Vimeo.

Learn more at lasocietedesapaches.com.

Related: Facing the Wave and Dispelling the Darkness

my soul drifts light upon a sea of trees

Rising from the Tsunami poster | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

Zen priest Reverend Kaneda leads a ceremony | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

Construction workers display illustrations of new walls designed to protect coastal communities from future tsunamis | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

A woman looks at a protective sea wall | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

In the forest above the area affected by the tsunami | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

A hairdresser and her client discuss local ghost sightings | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.

A new sea wall | Images courtesy of La Société des Apaches & Baldanders Films.