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＜CAST＞

Woman ............ Priscila Lehto

Man .................. Vincent Giry

Girl ......... Amber Thompson


original format : HDV
color
35minutes
subtitled in English

＜STAFF＞

Directed and Screenplay by ... Yo Kohatsu

Director of photography .......... Takeshi Tsuji

Light Designer .......................... Kenji Morita

Production Designed by .......... Yo Kohatsu

Costume Designer ................... Serika

Hair Designer ........................... Nico

Make up Designer .................... Emi Ohashi

Music by .................................. Chuji Akagi
　　　　　　　　　　　 and Takashi Harada
　　　　　　　　　　　 and Yuki Yano
Producers ............................... Takeshi Tsuji & Yo Kohatsu

The reasons for being separated unexpectedly from our loved one are many; accidents, sickness, or even an unreasonable test led by our destiny, are just a few. Until then, we don't even realize how important love is to us, or what we live for. This film shows the beauty of, desiring to cherish our partners and the wish to protect our love. It expresses that we must have a strong will in order to accept and overcome a cruel destiny.

With a high ambition for crafting an art film worthy of international appeal,our large and dedicated staff took special time to bring this project to its completion. We not only aimed for artistic merit, but for an entertaining story as well. Therefore, MARIONETTE is able to achieve both extremes. We believe we have accomplished a film that stimulates the imagination of viewers tremendously using only image, music and just a few words. With earnest determination to craft an art film worthy of international appeal, our well-staffed production crew took special time to bring this project to its completion. We focused on artistic depth, but also took care to provide an entertaining story. As a result, MARIONETTE weaves together the best of filmaking and storytelling to capture the spirit of tremendous love. We believe we have accomplished a film that stimulates the imagination of viewers using just image, music and only a very few words.

A small boat drifts mysteriously down a stream beside the town as if it had slipped out of a picture book. A young man appears and rescues a 'sleeping' woman from the small boat, and they grow close. Despite their beautiful days together, a heartless trial is creeping dreadfully toward the town and their destiny. Where did she come from ? Why was she holding a string in her hand when he found her? Can they protect their love from an unkind fate? "The day" is getting closer every moment...

A small boat drifts mysteriously down a stream beside the amazingly beautiful town as if it had slipped out of a picture book. A young man appears and rescues a "sleeping" woman like-doll from the small boat, and they grow close. Who is she? Where did she come from? Why was she holding a string in her hand? She doesn't remember anything and everything remains a mystery.
The man teaches her about working with fabric. The town prospers from the fabric dying industry, and clothes dyed in various colors are fluttering everywhere. They work together spreading and drying fabrics. This is a scene that mysteriously blends a bygone era and technology. She murmurs,"I am a puppet. If I could be born again, I want to be human." He counters, “We are human.” He denies it, "We are human beings.

At night, they start dancing a waltz in the hall of a clock tower. Never getting weary, they turn round and round. Their happy time is full of heart felt tenderness.

One little girl is looking down at this whole scene from above. There is a miniature garden around her and two marionettes are lain down. It's now clear... everything we have seen so far is the imaginary world the little girl created. She is just playing with dolls.

The man gets a shock when he finds out he is really a doll. As soon as he becomes aware of that, he finds a string in his hand

Because the little girl's parents are going to get a divorce, everything her mother owns has to be carried away from the house. There are only three more days left before moving out. The lady doll belongs to the girl's mother; an antique marionette. The girl compels those two dolls to an unkind fate: "If you can't make a miracle happen within three days, you will be separated from each other."

The next three days, the man and the woman are in emotional agony. They care about each other, but they feel hopeless and lost. No miracle has happened. Three days have passed and "the day" comes. The girl puts the lady doll back inside the box, but the box slips from her hands into a small aquarium. Falling into the water, the lady doll painfully struggles in front of the man doll. At last, a miracle happens! He...