Original subtitles

A Buried Forest Production Committee Presents

A Kohei OGURI Film

THE BURIED FOREST

"""Won't you dance with me?"""

That's what I asked you.

First we danced apart.

Then we started crying.

Our bodies and faces drew closer.

And we tasted each other's tears.

Beats me.

What's so interesting?

It's only a story _ just fiction.

But the pictures are good.

Machi, you were talking about the pet shop.

That funny pet shop ...

I'd hardly call it a shop.

You know what ...

Shall we make a story?

What?

With lots of fiction.

Story?

About the pet shop owner.

He got a camel.

A camel?

You can't be serious ...

In this town?

And why not?

It's just a story.

Mind you, it was hard.

There was nowhere to walk it.

So ...

he dug up the road ...

filled it with earth ...

and made a path for the camel

After that ...

everyone preferred the dirt road ...

and they dug up all the roads in the town.

You continue, Tokie!

I can't!

Jin!

Machi, then.

I'm no good.

Don't be so negative.

Do camels have eyelids?

I've never checked, but I'm sure they do.

It was three years before they closed the bus station .

...when I took over the business.

I asked my dad:

"""Why didn't they make a railroad?"""

Some people thought they would.

That's not what I mean.

My granddad was from old Tokyo.

He was dead against a railway

So he said.

People had a different take on things in the past.

If the railway had come here

our little market wouldn't be here now.

That's true, now you mentionit.

Akio, has the delivery gone?

Hey, Akio!

That grandma from Sanda justcalled.

She wants a big bucket.

A bucket?

Do we have one?

I'll look for one.

Hey, Tahbo!

Stop that!

Ah, here's San-chan.

What's up, Machi?

What's it with your hair?

Thanks for the CD.

It was okay.

You like vocals, right, San-chan?

I suppose.

Summer vacation already?

Yep.

Shall I give you a lift?

_ No thanks. _ You don't.

Ride Tomo's motorbike?

I'll walk.

I like walking.

Good for you.

Be careful.

What are you doing?

Sailing a boat.

What kind of boat?

A bamboo leaf boat.

It's tiny, isn't it?

But it's carrying very important things.

Yeah?

Yuko, how come Machi is so moody these days?

It's probably her age.

Were you, when you were 15 or16?

Maybe I was.

Scary!

I bet you were awful!

I happened to be very cute.

Oh, yeah?

I feel sorry for you.

You never knew me when I wascute.

Really?

Say ...

Is it true that Marui the joiner quit

He has so much skill.

And now he's driving a taxi.

A taxi?

Marui is a cab driver?

Why a cab driver?

He couldn't bear working alone, they say.

Maybe he brooded too much over his daughter's death.

What a waste.

How will he live?

That's a bit callous.

Yes ...

What?

A vehicle?

Yes, a story is a vehicle.

We get on and ride, and that's our life.

I wonder.

Do you think we can choose our vehicle?

Well ...

A story is only words ...

I'll call you.

See you.

That was the news, and now it's back to the music.

"This song is ""Morning Haze""."

Hang on! Take this miso to gowith it

You shouldn't ...

Thank you.

Take care.

Where's the fishmonger?

At the hospital _ his wife's rheumatism is playing up.

What's this?

"It's the egg ... of the ""Elephant" "Bird"" ... so I'm told."

They can pick up an elephant and fly off.

They're massive, or so it says in the letter.

So he sent this, did he?

I love Jugem's jokes like this.

He's never changed.

All the way from Brazil.

Do you think it's a fake?

You never know.

They say they shoot butterflies with pistols in Brazil.

I've never met granddad so I don't know.

In the fields ...

there was a man who was watching the sunset ...

he suddenly got the urge to follow the sun.

So he dropped the plow ...

and walked off, never to retu

Maybe Jugem is like that.

Ah! It still works.

Don't want people to think we're breaking in.

_ It's bigger than I thought. _ Certainly is.

It's 5 years since he closed.

Amazing.

What photo is it?

Don't know.

I wonder where it is.

They're relatives, but I was scared of my uncle.

So I don't really know.

Uncle!

Take our picture!

_ Who are you talking to? _ The dead!

Move that pram and bring a chair.

Be a good girl.

Sit down.

Wimp!

You're really pretty.

It's bright.

I like portrait photos.

Everyone looking in the samedirectio

It's not often that happens.

I hate photos.

I always shut my eyes.

I wonder why.

_ It's a talent. _ What do you mean?

The instant the shutter opens you wave goodbye ...

With your eyelids, I mean.

That's a talent.

That's a compliment?

Yes, it is.

Tomo!

_ What? _ Leave the ball there.

What are you doing?

Bet you can't guess.

There, it's the last one.

Come here, Tomo!

Quick!

Very interesting.

"It means ""dream"" in Tonpa characters."

Tonpa?

Used by a small tribe in China.

When I was little ...

I was very shy.

I used to like hiding in small spaces.

Once ...

I hid in the hydrangea bush.

It started to rain

and my parents looked for me.

But I didn't come out.

So, the camel became very popular in town.

Lots of people came to walk with him.

The camel was kind and took to the people well.

They went for many walks everyday.

San-chan often rode the camel

"Called himself ""Lawrence of Arabia""."

And paraded around the town 2 or 3 times a day.

Why is San-chan in the story?

Never mind.

But ...

But?

You've made me forget with your interruptions.

Sorry.

But ...

the camel started getting depressed.

He missed so much of the simple life of sand and sky.

Good one!

Tomie, please go back inside.

I want everyone to know what's going on.

Fetch them some tea instead of dithering about there.

_ What's up here? _ Oh, hello. What a fuss, eh?

Maybe you're making matters worse, acting like this.

I know I'm sometimes in the wrong, to

But the way they did it isn'tfair.

That's the issue.

Marui.

There was a family meeting.

It was decided, and I can't go against it.

You could discuss it again.

How?

My daughter and the family already trooped back to Tokyo

My son said: """Show of hands or secret ballot?"""

"Now I'm being put in an ""oldhome""."

What was the vote?

Eight to one for packing me off_ "the ""one"" being me."

I'm sorry for the fuss my mother is causing.

That's okay.

Okay! Now everyone!

Move away from the area. Cars are passing.

Sorry for dragging you out.

It's the old woman next door.

I was born way in the mountains.

My mother lived there till the day she died.

How old was she?

Ninety.

She was alone for 20 years after Daddy died.

I felt sorry for her.

But she loved the mountains.

She never complained.

"""What if you get ill up here?""" I used to say.

"""I couldn't be happier" "if my time comes here."""

That's what she said.

I was still young.

I couldn't understand.

How did I ever become such a weak person?

I feel I can't live if I don't cling to my son and everyone.

But Tomie-san ...

You need help sometimes, what with your legs ...

Never mind that.

It's something to do with myself.

Tomie-san.

We're making up a kind of story.

Each of us takes turns.

It's my turn next.

Will you listen?

The camel came from a place where dunes lead to the sea.

Once, a whale washed up and couldn't get back in thewater.

The villagers tried draggingit with boats.

They dug trenches to make a path to the ocean.

They tried hard, but couldn't rescue the whale

The whale became weaker and weaker.

By evening, the villagers had given up.

But one little girl didn't leave.

She stayed and bathed the whale's eyes with sea water.

Then it was morning.

Some fine specimens here.

They're called gurnards.

With those snouts they look like dogs!

They're a spring fish.

They live quite deep, but sometimes get dragged up.

It's the day of the altar gods.

So it is.

Used to be a toss up between the altar gods and the market

as to which would disappear.

After all ...

they are both still here.

There were more kids when I was younger.

We divided what we made, but it never came to much.

My dad would pass us a few times to boost our income!

When did we start calling it """traffic tax""?"

I wonder, too.

It's like a border crossing.

The kids have their own country.

They could form a republic!

Not a bad idea. I would be forit.

Good job!

It's not much, but this is foryou.

Thanks, mister.

You can make an offering withthis.

Hey! Give some to the gods first!

_ I'm sorry. _ Okay, keep it up.

Here comes a car!

What's all this?

It's altar gods day.

The day when the children clean the statues to ward off

It's an old tradition, and grown ups who pass here .

have to pay a traffic tax tous as a reward.

It's a thank you for the kids' hard work.

You're kidding.

It's the rule.

Sounds like fun _ how much?

There's no rule about that.

Here.

Thanks very much!

Good. See you.

I've lost all faith in the older generation.

Instead of knocking those balls around ...

they should be slipping some cash to their grandchildren.

True.

Here they are.

Okay, that's it!

Thanks for your help.

Think nothing of it.

It has to be turned at least once a year.

Machi, you can't be up in a mountain this late.

Are you sure you saw someone?

Akio! Can you fit everybody in?

Were there flames near the bigrock?

I think so, but it's hard to tell at nigh

The forest is a lot thicker at night than it seems.

Is this the right way?

Hey!

Hey!

This way!

Did that come from beneath thecliff?

Who was it?

Might have been Gen.

Nope, here I am!

That's creepy!

Jeez!

You gave me such a fright!

That's my line, I think!