BLACK OX

In 19th-century Japan, transitioning towards modernization, a man attempts to reconnect with nature while plowing fields with an ox. The film explores the relationship between man and ox, inspired by the “Ten Ox-Herding Pictures,” a series of short poems and illustrations from Zen tradition that depict the path to enlightenment and spiritual awakening. Director Tetsuichiro Tsuta’s second feature film is a unique epic period piece set in the wilderness of Shikoku, in southwestern Japan, where the director was born. This film is also the first narrative feature in Japanese film history to be shot on 70mm film.