Set in a village of 47 inhabitants in the mountains of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, The Works and Days is a geographic description of the work and non-work of a farmer. A portrait, over five seasons, of a family, of a terrain, of a soundscape, and of duration itself.
One of the best films of the year, The Works and Days may be long, but don’t let that put you off. An expansive immersion in the rural life of a Japanese woman, this poetic masterwork finds lyricism, serenity, and profundity in the everyday rituals of its own little corner of the universe.