37 Stories About Leaving Home

1996, 52 min, color, sound

In 37 Stories About Leaving Home, a group of Japanese women living in the Tokyo area recount personal stories of their own experiences of leaving home. In these stories one can begin to see, from very personal and individual perspectives, the societal changes that have occurred over the last three generations for women in Japan, bringing an exciting and often conflicting array of choices and positions. Many of the stories revolve around the relationships these grandmothers, mothers and daughters have with each other, filled with respect, rebellion, loss and love. The interviews are framed by a traditional Japanese folktale, a magical and somewhat shocking narrative of a mother's search for her abducted daughter, kidnapped by a monster on the eve of her wedding.

In English and Japanese with English subtitles.

Directed, Shot, and Edited by Shelly Silver. Music: Lefdup & Lefdup. Assistant Editor: Daiho Tsuruoko. On-Line Editor: Adam Fuster at Broadway Video through the Stand-By Program. Editing Assistants: Yumiko Murakami, Jacqueline Baum. Sound Mix: Bill Seery at Mercer Street Sound. Subtitling: Linda Loaglund. Archival Material: The National Archives, Hiroko Murakami, Carl A. Kroch Library, Cornell University. Funded in part by The Japanese/U.S. Friendship Commission, The Japan Foundation. Oni Story from the traditionl Japanese folktale, "The Oni Laughs."