The Making of a Japanese

Nervousness with a hint of anticipation: this is how the schoolchildren - and we with them - seem to feel on the first day of their school career. Primary school in Japan runs from the first to the sixth grade, where children are taught the foundations for their future lives. Self-discipline, responsibility and community spirit are the top priorities. This is no easy task, especially in the midst of the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Over the course of a school year, we are allowed to follow the children from different school levels in their daily routines and experience the usual and special challenges they face; from adapting to hygiene regulations to the emotional and social aspects of entering society, we are given a unique and moving look at the youngest members of the Japanese education system.

For British-Japanese director Ema Ryan YAMAZAKI, this is the third documentary film that she has not only successfully directed but also edited. She has already received awards for Monkey Business (2017) and Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams (2019). For The Making of a Japanese, she was honoured at Nippon Connection in Frankfurt (Nippon Docs Award) and at Japan Cuts in New York (Audience Award). Her editing work can also be seen this year at Japannual in the documentary Black Box Diaries.