The Cats of Gokogu Shrine Documentary - out March 27

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Hi Gloss Entertainment is delighted to announce the Australian theatrical release of cult Japanese documentarian Kazuhiro Soda’s 10th observational documentary, The Cats of Gokogu Shrine from March 27.

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.

• Official Selection: Berlinale Forum
• ‍Official Selection: Sydney Film Festival
• ‍Official Selection: Melbourne International Film Festival
• ‍Official Selection: BFI London Film Festival

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

Cinema Showtimes

‍Melbourne

Cinema Nova (Previewing Sunday March 16 at 4.30pm)

Classic Cinema

Palace Brighton Bay

Palace Como

Palace Balwyn

Palace Pentridge

Palace Kino

ACMI - April 4-6 / 11-13

‍Sydney

Palace Central

Palace Moore Park

Ritz

‍Adelaide

Palace Nova Eastend (Previewing on Sunday March 23)

Perth

‍Leederville (Previewing on Sunday March 23)

Raine Square

Brisbane

Angelika

James St.

Hobart

State Cinema Hobart

Canberra

Electric

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