1968—the year students and workers revolted against established authorities around the world. In Narita, Japan, residents of the farming village Sanrizuka rose up in protest against the New Tokyo International Airport Project, a project that had been decided upon without any respect to local concerns. This film is the first in Ogawa Productions’ eight-year, seven-film Narita series. It was through this series that Ogawa and Ogawa Productions established their method of filming while living with the people they were filming. The camera follows the “Youth Brigade” as they decide to use arms in their struggles against the riot police. Ogawa said about this film: “All the shots were taken from the farmers’ side, we were always amongst them, shooting from their perspective. Even when we were shooting the authorities, we shot everything; face-on and also in contrast to this.” (From the catalogue of Yamagata Int’l Documentary Film Festival)
First, the location of camera obviously stands on the same position with farmers. If the powers aim to repress and mobile teams brings farmers violence, then we took the camera in front of them. Through the screen, the audience communicate with the power. Second, even if we cannot get the ideal lens, we never use videotaping. Not shot with a telephoto lens secretly, or hid in the corner shooting, but we held the camera when participating in the struggle of farmers. In fact, it’s very difficult to achieve the above two points, but this is the starting point of Ogawa’s crew.