The Wages of Resistance: Narita Stories (2014)

The Wages of Resistance is a feature-length documentary film that portrays an "extended span of time" of the protests against building Narita International Airport which have continued from the 1960's to today through documenting monologues of those whose lives were twisted by the movement. After forty-five years, I revisited the Sanrizuka airport land. What did I see there and what attracted my attention that prompted me to film? "In the beginning was the Word." In the beginning, everything is brought out into broad daylight to be scrutinised and dissected by words and reason; to be verbalised and hanged out to dry. On the other hand, the world of films is a world of shadows swaying endlessly. The minute you think you caught them; they slip through your fingers. The mesh of words must be too big to verbalise them. They are gone. This film recounts the forty-six years of struggles of the Sanrizuka farmers opposing the new airport and the government's powerful oppression from time to time, through the sober eyes of present day farmers. However imperfect the airport might be, it has been built and it is inevitable to conclude that the farmers lost the struggle. The farmers are still farming in the land while casting side glances at the planes taking off and landing. They continue to live there. Their lives and minds must be wavering in conflicting courses. We quietly placed our camera by their side and made a tranquil document of their monologues.