ADVANCE SCREENING: Sunday March 16, 4.20pm. See an early screening of the meditative THE CATS OF GOKOGU SHRINE.

 

A meditative exercise in filmmaking, THE CATS OF GOKOGU SHRINE is a joyous and thought-provoking observation of coexistence that premiered to great acclaim at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival.

Gokogu is a small, ancient Shinto shrine in Ushimado, Japan. Home to dozens of street cats, it is also known as Cat Shrine. While Gokogu looks peaceful on the surface, it is also the epicentre of a sensitive issue that divides the local community. Many people visit the shrine for various reasons: some to worship gods, others to enjoy gardening; some people come to clean the shrine as volunteers. But as some residents care for the cats that have come to call the shrine their home, others complain about the waste that they leave around the neighbourhood. Director Kazuhiro Sôda, who has lived in Ushimado for several years, observes and depicts the aging, traditional community and its spiritual center: Gokogu.

Japanese language, English subtitles.