The Cats of Gokugo Shrine

In the picturesque small coastal town of Ushimado in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture, a Shinto shrine has become home to an ever-growing colony of stray cats. 

Enter Japanese documentarian Kazuhiro Soda, renowned for his self-imposed "10 Commandments of Observational Documentary," which include doing no prior research, having no pre-set themes or goals, and shooting long takes without scripts, narration, or superimposed titles—all while filming everything himself. 

In his 10th observational documentary, Soda casts a calm and meditative eye over the shrine, its feline inhabitants, and their human neighbours. Set over the course of a year, he captures the lives of the cats as they adapt to the seasons, steal fish from local fishermen and interact with local residents, some of whom see the cats as a nuisance, while others view them as a potential tourist attraction for the town.

The result is a charming and thoughtful portrait of the delicate balance between cats and humans in an ever-evolving world set over the backdrop of a little explored region of Japan.

Kazuhiro Soda’s 10 Commandments of Observational Filmmaking

1 No research. 2 No meetings with subjects. 3 No scripts. 4 Roll the camera yourself. 5 Shoot for as long as possible. 6 Cover small areas deeply. 7 Do not set up a theme or goal before editing. 8 No narration, super-imposed titles, or music. 9 Use long takes. 10 Pay for the production yourself

DIRECTED BY

Soda Kazuhiro

YEAR

2024

COUNTRY

Japan

LANGUAGE

Japanese

RUNTIME

119 MIN

RATING

CTC

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FILM FESTIVALS AND AWARDS

Official Selection: Berlinale Forum

Official Selection: Sydney Film Festival

Official Selection: Melbourne International Film Festival

Official Selection: BFI London Film Festival

REVIEWS

“A gorgeous tribute to the independent felines, and the kind people who lived in harmony with them” 

Little White Lies

“Sensitive and gently humorous, it tells more about people that cats” 

Movie Break

“Soda’s camera affectionately tracks the felines on their daily rounds, from sunning themselves on the shrine steps to competing for fish tossed by local fishermen” 

Japan Times ★★★★

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The Cats of Gokugo Shrine