CINÉ AU THÉÂTRE : La ballade de Narayama

Regarded as one of the masterpieces of 1980s Japanese cinema, *The Ballad of Narayama* is the story of a journey that takes a lifetime to prepare for. In 19th-century rural Japan, the custom of ‘ubasute’ dictated that, upon reaching the age of 70, the elderly would make their way to the summit of Mount Narayama to meet their end. As the time of her final journey approaches, the elderly Orin commands admiration for her dignity, self-sacrifice and strength of character. Before entrusting herself to Tatsuhei, her eldest son who will lead her to the summit, she makes arrangements for the future of each family member and passes on her final secrets to her daughter-in-law as a legacy. Set against a backdrop dominated by nature, where humans are merely social beings amongst other animals, Shohei Imamura offers a radical portrait of life, for which he received numerous awards, including the Palme d’Or in 1983.