Over The Sky
この空を越えて
Shiiki Toko
USA, Japan/42min./2019
A documentary about the power of music as seen through a music teacher and her award-winning junior high school wind ensemble who live around the coastal area of Fukushima, affected by the 2011 disasters.7 years after the disaster, Ms. Abe encountered another big challenge. However, she never gives up music and life and keeps moving forward with hope.
| Title in English | Over The Sky |
|---|---|
| Title in Original Language | この空を越えて |
| Director(s) | Shiiki Toko |
| Director's Bio/Filmography | Born and raised in Japan, Toko Shiiki spent most of her life in Tokyo before moving to Michigan in 2005. Toko’s pursuit of using photography as a narrative medium inspired her to explore documentary filmmaking, where she delights in meeting fascinating people and sharing their stories with the world. Since 2012, Toko has produced several documentary shorts, covering subjects like Japanese writers in University of Iowa's renowned International Writing Program, "The Medium is The Messenger", and an award-winning sake chief brewer in Fukushima, "Passing the Baton". She made her feature-length debut with “Threshold: Whispers of Fukushima", and the sequel film "Over The Sky", which chronicled how Fukushima residents weathered the 2011 nuclear power plant disaster, earning an Accolade Global Film Competition Award (Documentary Feature, Contemporary Issues/Awareness Raising) - "Threshold: Whispers of Fukushima", a Hometown Media Awards in the category of "documentary independent producer" - "Over The Sky" by Alliance for Community Media, and nominated Nonfiction competition by Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2019 - "Passing the Baton". |
| Year of Completion | 2019 |
| Nationality of the Film | USA, Japan |
| Running Time | 42 min. |
| Aspect Ratio | Video: 16：9 |
| Color | Color |
| Screening Format | BD |
| Shooting Locations | Minamisoma City, Fukushima |
| Shooting Dates/Periods | Nov 26 2013 - Nov 13 2017 |
| Names of Characters | Abe Kazuyo |
| Language of Commentary and Dialogue | Japanese, |
| Subtitles | English, |
| Date of First Public Screening | 2018/4/4 |
| Place of First Public Screening (Country) | USA |
| Date of First Public Screening in Japan | 2019/10/13 |
| Previous Screenings at Other Film Festivals and Events | AAS FILM EXPO 2019 (Denver, Colorado, United States / March 21, 2019 / Official Selection) |
| Staff Credits |
Photography: Shiiki Toko Editing: Shiiki Toko Sound: Erik Santos Others：Sound Editor: Erik Santos |
| Producer | Shiiki Toko |
| Distributor / Distribution Company | Shiiki Toko |
| Official Website for the Film | http://thresholdfukushima.com/over-the-sky.html |
| Other Online Access to the film | https://www.facebook.com/thresholdfukushima/ |
| Screenings at the Past YIDFF Programs and Events | YIDFF 2019 |
