Standing with the ‘Foolish Piggies’ (L-R) Producer Yuji Watanabe, Director/Producer Hirobumi Watanabe and Cinematographer Woohyun Bang.
All Rights Reserved: The London Tree

A look at an ordinary life of an ordinary man all in black and white. This feature film is promoted by Third Window Films  and is Directed by Hirobumi Watanabe, Produced by Yuji Watanabe and Hirobumi Watanabe and Cinematography is done by Woohyun Bang; A ‘Foolish Piggies’ presentiation, And The Mudship Sails Away was brought into the 22^nd Raindance Film Festival 2014 where it had its UK Premiere in London. This feature film is also having its release on Dual Format titled as ‘NEW DIRECTORS FROM JAPAN’ on 24^th November, 2014. It will be a limited edition set of only 1,000 copies; therefore you can order them by clicking the following Amazon link

New Directors from Japan.
Courtesy of Third Window Films

The film had a successful UK Premiere  in London. This film has a very unique look. Shot all in black and white, it gives a very realistic look, and shows the characters in more depth. It shows just a glimpse of a Japanese man’s life, the people who surround him and the experiences he is going through. Taking in a very small cast, the Director gave each a character as interesting as any other and brought them all together. The main lead Takashi, is a man who is a reflection of a phase of life through which every man goes through. Having no job and staying at home, sleeping all day and driving around with that one friend who is both intelligent and stupid. The girl in the female lead is serious and very mysterious who does not give out much of her personality. The grandmother is very quiet, who does not mind her grandson sleeping all day or at times spending his days out and having misadventures; and that one friend who is both intelligent and stupid, stays by Takashi’s side and tries helping him out at times. Other characters include a man trying to get people to vote for him, a boy who keeps coming to Takashi’s home to pester him, a man who tries to convince him to smuggle drugs to another Asian county and strangely, a couple of aliens too.

Courtesy of Third Window Films.

The cinematography done by Woohyun Bang is very simple and to the point. Showing panoramic views in Sergio Leone style and capturing the essence of the characters and very interesting use of camera inside the front of the car shows that the Cinematographer has been experimenting and recreating scenes from other films in a very productive way.

Courtesy of Third Window Films

The story revolves around the quiet life of Takashi, a man without a job who stays at home with his grandmother and at times goes on misadventures with his trusted friend. His life takes a turn when a girl claiming to be his sister ends up at his home. Thus Takashi is forced to change his life and take decisions which end him up in a very different world.

Director: Hirobumi Watanabe

Writer: Hirobumi Watanabe

Producer: Yuji Watanabe

Cinematographer: Woohyun Bang

Cast: Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Ayasa Takahasi. Misao Hirayama, Kaoru Lida.

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Youth.

Country: Japan

Lanuage: Japanese

DVD/Bluray Release Date: Nov 24, 2014

Run Time: 88 min

Title picture Courtesy of Third Window Films.