THE MOURNING FOREST
As you can see, this is the time they all relax together.
To avoid the heat, we go walking earlier on.
Feeling stressed?
There are no formal rules here.
You alright?
Thanks for your help.
You're welcome.
Come rain
or shine,
It's always in my heart
My home country
A pumpkin.
My, it's heavy!
Look!
I can see. What is it?
Can you pick that for me?
It's easy.
Turn your hand like that,
then it's easy.
Machiko, do you like pumpkin?
Let's pick it later on.
I've finished the dishes.
Then, empty the residents' wastepaper baskets
and that will be all for today.
Warn them before you go in.
The Cuckoo
Am I alive?
"To be alive" has two meanings.
The first:
eating. Rice or condiments.
So, tell me. Do you eat rice?
Yes, you do eat rice.
And condiments?
Yes, that's good. It's important.
There is another meaning.
Having the sensation of living.
Feeling alive.
"I don't understand the meaning of life. "
"I don't see the point of my life. "
It's not just about "eating and living".
That's why I said your question had two meanings.
Do you eat?
Yes, you eat, so you're alive.
That's the answer in most cases.
But as I said just now,
you don't feel alive.
I mean your heart, not your stomach.
Your heart has become empty.
- It's emptiness, not nothingness. - Emptiness?
Am I alive or not?
When you can't
answer that question yourself,
then it's the other meaning.
If you want to grasp this other meaning...
Miss Machiko...
take his hand.
Well? How is her hand?
Is Miss Machiko
transmitting her energy to you?
You feel the sensation of living.
Living is therefore sensations.
Say something nice to him.
Are you feeling well?
Yes.
Thanks to these words, you felt something.
By answering "Yes", you felt well-being.
Master...
I'd like to know...
how do you live when you're alone?
Well, that's the question.
You should know that a solitary life
is a situation produced by today's society.
So...
when you want to open up to others,
but you're not really able to,
what can you do?
MA-KO
MA
KO
MA-CHI-KO
MA-KO
Mr Shigeki, she's Machiko.
- Not true. - Not true? It's not true?
Really? She's Mrs Mako?
Not true.
Mako...
Mrs Mako is his wife?
- She's dead? - That's right.
How many years has it been?
How many years?
33 years, right?
33 years.
In that case,
this year will be
the 33rd anniversary of her death.
So,
as Mrs Mako died 33 years ago,
Mrs Mako...
will enter once and for all
the world of Buddha this year.
After 33 years, you become a buddha.
Consequently,
she won't come back down anymore.
The 33rd anniversary
is a memorable anniversary.
It's this year, then.
When you die,
there's the "other world".
It's bigger than the huge Earth.
It's an enormous, very happy place.
And there are lots of guys
and lots of women
who went before us.
"We were expecting you".
Before we were born,
before birth...
where were we?
I think we were
in our mother's womb.
When we die,
I sometimes think that we go up to heaven, dancing.
How can I put it?
I don't think about death.
That day,
why did you let go of our son's hand?
Why did you?
Why am I alive?
And why is he dead?
Tell me why.
Why is he dead?
I'm sorry.
What about you, Mrs Mitsuko,
what does it feel like to have lost a child?
I don't like to talk about it.
What I can say is,
when he died, I was told to keep a grip.
I cried so much
that the nurse started crying with me.
When she came to help me tidy everything away,
we cried together, holding hands.
You think about it every day?
I wish I hadn't brought him into the world.
I told him I was sorry.
I like to watch TV.
Do you like watching TV?
His birthday?
We could celebrate it later on.
Good idea.
Listen to me.
Today is Mr Shigeki's birthday.
We'll all celebrate it together.
Music, please.
Look at me and smile.
What can we give you?
What would you like?
Tell us what you'd like.
Is there nothing but your wife?
Mako.
She's dead.
Does he have children?
He doesn't?
I can't do it.
Mako.
Please excuse me.
Mr Shigeki,
I'm here to empty your bin.
What are you doing?
Do you want it?
Further?
Over there?
It's there.
Very good.
There you are.
Thank you very much.
Does it hurt?
I'm sorry.
Don't apologize.
Nobody did anything wrong.
What's the matter?
What about you, Wakako?
Aren't you in pain?
Me?
Yes, I am.
I am in pain...
Of course, at times.
Do you think I'll make it?
There are no formal rules, you know.
You'll make it in time.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
There are no formal rules, you know.
...you know.
Why do you say, 'you know'?
A lover taught it to me.
A lover?
Yes.
Was he from around here?
Yes, Kansai.
I'm very serious.
I always want to do everything as best I can.
In the end, I'm exhausted and I get irritated.
So, this lover said to me:
"There are no formal rules, you know"
It calmed me down.
There are no formal rules, you know.
No rules... you know.
Great!
Mr Shigeki.
Are you OK?
There you are, Machiko.
Hello.
Careful...
Wait!
There are no formal rules...
I can see you!
Found you!
Wait for me!
Wait!
Coming.
Again?
I can see you!
Wait for me!
Mind the door!
Off we go.
- Got a flask? - Yes.
Call me if necessary.
You're pleased, Mr Shigeki.
You're going out with Machiko.
Have a good trip.
Let's go.
Have a good trip!
Are you OK? Are you in any pain?
Sorry.
Wait a bit.
You're not in any pain?
Wait for me. Stay here.
Do you want to get out?
Just a moment.
Excuse me!
Is there anyone there?
Excuse me!
Wait for me. I'm going to those houses.
Can you stay on your own?
Will you be OK?
Don't leave the car.
Stay here and be good.
Will you be OK?
You're not in any pain at all?
It'll be alright.
Wait for me.
Drink if you're thirsty.
Where are you?
Where have you got to?
What's that?
Let's stop for a drink.
We are exhausted.
Stop!
Wait for me!
What's wrong?
It's delicious.
You can't beat a watermelon when it's hot.
You sure made me run!
It's so hot!
It's delicious.
Where were you going?
Is this the right way?
Are you sure?
It's not that way?
This way.
It flew away.
Good.
Careful!
Mr Shigeki...
Where are you going?
To Mako.
What's that?
A tomb.
A tomb?
Mako's. Is it hers?
Hello?
We're just...
No signal.
Mr Shigeki,
Let's pray to the wind together.
Please.
Wind...
Please.
We've already been this way.
We could rest a while.
Come on, let's have a little rest.
- No way. - Let's rest.
Please care you, don't fall!
Come on, let's rest here.
Just for a while.
Is that bag so important?
So important?
Important.
More important than yourself?
More important than you?
Important...
Important.
Please stay with me here.
Wait!
It's dangerous.
No! Don't cross!
You mustn't cross!
You mustn't!
No!
I'm sorry!
You mustn't cross!
Don't do it! Don't!
Please!
Don't do it!
Sorry...
The water of the river
which flows constantly
never returns to its source.
... never returns to its source.
... ever.
We're lucky, the fire caught.
We were so cold....
It's nice and warm.
We were so cold...
Are you OK?
It's nice and warm.
What's wrong?
It's tea.
Tea.
What is it?
Are you cold?
Let's take that off.
It'll be alright.
We're alive, aren't we?
We're alive.
I'll carry that.
Don't worry.
Watch out.
I'll carry your bag.
It's heavy.
I'll carry it.
I'll carry it for you.
Chin up!
Mako?
For a long time...
... I wandered...
... and now I'm here.
I'm going to sleep
in the earth.
I feel so good!
It's alright now.
Everything's alright...
It was very long.
For a long time...
... a very long time...
...you must be tired.
For such a long time...
...you were always there.
Thank you.
I'm going to sleep...
... in the earth.
A word about Mogari
It is the period devoted to mourning,
thinking back on the dearly beloved.
It is also the place of mourning.
The etymology of the word is said to be
Shigeki : UDA Shigeki
Machiko : ONO Machiko
Wakako : WATANABE Makiko
Camera : NAkANO Hideyo
Lighting: IMURA Masami
Music: SHIGENO Masamichi
Scriptwriter - Director: KAWASE Naomi
Subtitles: J. Miller
Subtitling Titra Film Paris