Film enthusiasts gathered at Yoshimoto Kagetsu theater inside the Tomarin center at one of Naha’s piers to take in the locally-produced film Okinawan Blue. The piece is actually an extension of the short film Zamami Blue, which previously screened at the Fest. For a low-budget work it’s had remarkable success, with runs in a Tokyo and Naha theaters.

Shot entirely on the tiny and picturesque island of Zamami (about an hour from Naha by speedboat), the film is broken into three episodic stories brought together by their connection to the Full Moon guest house and its caretaker/handyman/driver/boatman Yuhi (Okinawan actor Shogen). In the first chapter (which was the story of the short) photographer Christophe (Daniel Lopez) and Meg (Rino Nakasone) arrive on the island for the former’s work. Meg’s ancestors came from Zamami so she feels right at home but Christophe is put off by the Japanese & Okinawan customs. Comedy ensues as the couple can’t communicate with their guest house hosts. In the next chapter a man who abandoned his son for 5 years returns to start over with him. But the problem is he’s on the run from the law for stealing a million dollars and his sister-in-law, who has been taking care of his son, hates him. In the final episode a man and his teenager stepdaughter must deal with the aftermath of their wife/mother running off with another man. To make matters worse the young thug who ran away with the wife has returned to the iand alone.

The stunning beautiful island of Zamami (in the Kerama chain) ties together these stories and Yuhi, expertly portrayed by Shogen, acts as the steadying force. We can feel the rhythms of the ocean and the bonds between people. In a stage greeting after the screening director Tsukasa Kishimoto said, “This is a film about dealing with family and familial relationships, but I also wanted to share the beauty of Zamami island.”

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