Dendera: Daisuke Tengan (LFF 26.10.2011)

This is a sequel to 'The Ballad of Narayama' in which the women of a village were taken over the mountain to die when they reached 70. The opening sequence sees Kayu being taken up to the shrine over the mountain in the depths of winter to die
but she is found and saved by older women who have themselves survived, the oldest being now 100 years old and the founder of this women only settlement. Kayu is the 50th which decides the matriarch that it is time to return to the village to kill the men. The film shows their life and their training for this but they are disturbed by a large bear which attcks them and ransacks the food store. They regather and set a trap for the bear but succeed only in killing the she-bear's cub. A further attack reduces the number of women but they do set out to carry out their attack only to be hit by a further setback - an avalanche reduces their number even more including the death of the matriarch. Dayu sets out to entice the bear to attack her and a companion - she does this by leading it to the village where it is joined by a male bear killing some of the men. The film ends abruptly with her facing the female, presumably accepting that she will be killed. The photography of the winter landscape is excellent and gives the impression at times of a painting rather than reality. All in all a well done film