Life Is Fruity (2017) Poster

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7/10
Life-affirming and heartwarming
bannerninja10 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
If you are looking for fast action and easy-to-consume media, look elsewhere, this is not for you.

The documentary follows 90-year-old architect Shuichi Tsubata and his 87-year-old wife Hideko live in Aichi Prefecture. They are entirely self-sufficient from the many fruits and vegetables growing in their huge garden.

The couple lives in harmony with nature and are utterly disconnected from the stress of modern life.

As the documentary progresses, we dive into the past of Shuichi Tsubata and learn of his original meeting with Aichi Prefecture as a young man proposing a way of building housing that were in harmony with nature after WW2 - but the government refused because being able to house maximum amount of people on the minimum amount of place was the only priority.

Shuichi Tsubata has spent his entirely life trying to live his beliefs - changing the area, living by example and even getting classes established for kids to learn about a more sustainable way of life.

On top of this, we follow the every-day life of the couple with many little rituals and details - with enormous vitality and love of life, the two are an inspirational meeting to say the least.
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3/10
Bland and Boring.
net_orders25 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
LIFE IS FRUITY / LIFE'S FRUITS [Lit.] (JINSEI FURUUTSU). Viewed at CineMatsuri 2018. Subtitles = four (4) stars; narration = three (3) stars; cinematography/lighting/sound = three (3) stars. Japan is known for it's senior citizens who seem to live longer than in any other country. Director Kenshi Fushihara documents the daily life of two (great grand parents who are in or close to their ninth decade of life) which is focused on food gardening and meal preparations. They eat what they grow, and they have been growing a huge variety of things on a very small plot of land (their backyard) after dropping out of the main stream of society some 50 years ago. Not unexpectedly, they also retain/practice quaint customs. Aside from, perhaps, satisfying some initial curiosity about long-lived Japanese, this docu doesn't have much to offer. It's basically a stretched-out short subject! Fushihara inserts the retelling of a wartime experience to break up the monotony. The ending goes on and on and on after the husband apparently dies during production. All garden signs (of which there are quite a few) seem to be translated. Many garden products are digitally labeled. Voice-over narration is pleasant and fits in well; it is neither over nor under bearing. Cinematography (semi-wide screen, DCP, color) and lighting are okay. Sound is fine (there are scenes without sound). Not recommended for viewing beyond the first 10 minutes or so. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
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