Original title Nikume, Hallelujah! English title Hate,Hallelujah!

Was my sister there, under the wreckage Kobe had become?

Director

Yoshiyuki Itakura ()

Japan / 2006 / DV / 76min WEB BLOG Twitter Address Telephon Email http://www.shikounorappasya.or.tv/nikume/ http://nikume2010.blogspot.com/ http://twitter.com/n_hallelujah 302 1-9-24 Nakazakinishi Kita-ku Osaka 530-0016, Japan +81-90-7492-3180 shikounorappasya@or.tv

Starring
Jun Usaka(), Nanami Fujimoto () Ayami Chou (), Dekaruko Mary (), Daisuke Watanabe () Miki Hiramatsu (), Hitoshi Nishimura (), Katsuhiko Taniguchu () Norio Morikawa (), Fumihiro Kimura (), Moeko Ezawa(Guest Appearance, ) Director, Writer, Editor : Yoshiyuki Itakura () Cinematography, Lighting: Futa Takagi () / Sound: Izumi Matsuno () Production Designer (): Yoshiyuki Uchibori () / Voicing (): Takeshi Azuma () Costumes: Roukai Okui () / Documentation (): Noriko Sonobe () / Make-up: Yayoi Kubota () / VFX: Shouichi Matsuura () / Music: Takanori Masui (), Jinko no Yoru () / Line Producer: Masayoshi Jounai () / Assistant Directors: Hajime Izuki (), Taeko Tsurugi () / Cinematography Assistant: Shinsuke Takada () Lighting Assistant: Ai Hoshino() / Recording Assistant: Yukako Yogo () / Production Design Assistant: Mai Okafuji () / Make-up Assistant: Mika Takeoka () / Production: Takanori Masui (), Hidetaka Oku (), Ayako Kuzuhara(), Setsuko Shiokawa () Production company: Shikou no Rappa sha ()

Synopsis
We might have mistakenly spent the decade without knowing anything. 10 years ago, Hiroto () lost his parents in the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Since then he and his grandmother have lived at his uncles house. Years have past, the memories of the Earthquake have started to fade away, and he lived a peaceful life. But one day, his grandmother who gradually was becoming senile, started to talk about the ruined city and his lost sister Saki. This sister whom Hiroto only knows by this name, brings back his memory of the Earthquake. At the same time, he meets a girl in a similar circumstance. Her name is Saki (). Can Saki be his sister Saki? Just on this clue from his grandmother... he starts running away with the Saki. 15 years after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the journey that questions what is memory begins. This film was produced by the production division of Osaka Citys film cultural programthe second Cineaste Organization Exhibition Osaka (CO2). The Great Hanshin Earthquake that occurred on January 17th, 1995, is one of the central themes. The story is set at the same time as when the film was shot, 10 years after the incident. While there was debate in the CO2 Project Selection Committee on using the Great Hanshin Earthquake as a theme, the wandering camera work that seeks out the traces of the disaster seemingly conflicting with the vividly captured figure of Hiroto recording the sounds of the city and obsessing over Saki was graded highly by one of the jurors, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Later on, the film participated in film festivals in and outside of Japan and received great praise. Director Yoshiyuki Itakura, graduated from Osaka University of Arts which has produced many young and talented directors such as Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (), Nobuhiro Yamashita (), Go Shibata () and Yuya Ishii (). This was his first theatrical film. Jun Usaka portrays the main character, Hiroto. He has primarily appeared in many independent films and recently displayed skillful acting in Kunitoshi Mandas () film, X. Hirotos obsession toward Saki, displaying a delicate, yet also bold behavior, could not have been portrayed without his presence. Saki was portrayed by Nanami Fujimoto who has recently appeared in many films and television dramas. She has gained popularity with her charmingness and her sure acting. In this, her first starring role in a film as well she displayed her ample charm. Additionally, Moeko Ezawa, an actress known in many films including director Tatsumi Kumashiros ( ) films, guest appeared as Yutos grandmother. Cinematography was handled by Futa Takagi () known for Doman Seman (Go Shibata) and To Walk Beside You (Yuya Ishii). Izumi Matsuno (), who directed the PFF Special Jury Prize winning GHOST OF YESTERDAY, was in charge of sound. Yutos 8mm film and music performance in the film is modelled on Matsunos music unit Jinkou no Yoru. Also, Takanori Masui (), the director of Yakou () who has been gaining prominence in recent years, participates as a staff member for this film. Many notable people from the Kansai independent film scene cross paths in this film.

Directors Biography
Yoshiyuki Itakura1981,Osaka He studied film making at OSAKA UNIVERCITY of Arts.His graduation Film"Hino Sokode"won the prize at 7th student film Festival in KYOTO."Hate,Hallelujah!" is his second feature.

Directors Filmography
Hino Sokode2003Umi no Dynamie/Ocean Dynamite 2005Miminari2007 Nikume,Hallelujah!/Hate,Hallelujah!2009

Directors statement
This is an escaping story and road movie.But, I do not think it gives the spectators the sense that heroes are "Moving" so much. When I directed theis movie, I thought a little ideally. "After all, heroes were able to be only in the same place wherever they went"However, this idea catches my daily life now. Whether actually feeling "Moving"boils because of busy or any town looks like and the reason is not clearly understood. Is it because of chaos?