Yamagata Renaissance Project
Reunion: 35 Years of the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
(Saikai: Yamagata kokusai documentary eigasai 35 nenme no kiroku)- JAPAN / 2024 / Japanese / Color / 24 min
Director: Nagaoka Hiroaki
After four years, the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival returned as an in-person event in 2023. Following the online edition in 2021, the festival lost its symbolic nighttime venue, Komian Club, and mourned the sudden passing of the man who had been the backbone of the festival. These years brought many challenges, but the 2023 festival marks a new beginning. Through interviews, the documentary explores the festival’s significance, appeal, and the resolve of those involved.
Memories That Sheep Carry: Genghis Khan in Zao Onsen
(Hitsuji ga tsumugu kioku: Zao onsen Genghis Khan)- JAPAN / 2024 / Japanese / Color / 13 min
Director: Fuse Kaho
Zao Onsen in Yamagata City is known as the Japanese birthplace of the grilled mutton dish called Genghis Khan. It has a long tradition rooted in its sheep-farming past. Its signature “Zao Onsen Genghis Khan” flavor, passed down through generations, was named a “100-year food” by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2022. The film explores both its history and the deep connection locals have with this heritage.
Sunny Spot: Story of a Beloved Local Supermarket
(Hidamari: Aru aisare super no hanashi)- JAPAN / 2025 / Japanese / Color / 11 min
Director: Nagaoka Hiroaki
Endo, a small supermarket in Naga-machi, Yamagata City, is famous for gesoten (deepfried squid legs), Yamagata food attracting visitors from near and far. But it’s more than just food—Endo hosts elderly gatherings, summer festivals, and a kids’ cafeteria, making it a vibrant community hub. This documentary explores the local treasure of gesoten and the diverse people who come together here.
The Writers of Dewa
(Dewa ga umidasu bunshi tachi)- JAPAN / 2025 / Japanese / Color / 22 min
Director: Sato Koichi
Yamagata City has produced many famous writers, partly thanks to the privately run “Yamagata Novelist and Writer’s Course.” Since its founding in 1997, the course continues to attract both passionate writing enthusiasts and aspiring authors. Why has this course flourished in Yamagata, and how does it keep nurturing literary talent? This documentary explores these questions through interviews and examines the city’s broader literary culture.