Under Snow

In Echigo in Japan the snow often lies several feet deep well into May covering landscape and villages Over the centuries the inhabitants have organised their lives accordingly In order to record their very distinctive forms of everyday life their festivals and religious rituals Ulrike Ottinger journeyed to the mythical snow country accompanied by two Kabuki performers Taking the parts of the students Takeo and Mako they follow in the footsteps of Bokushi Suzuki who in the mid19th century wrote his remarkable book Snow Country Tales