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The Ballad of Narayama
JAPAN · 1983

The Ballad of Narayama

Shohei Imamura
ritual suicide aging and mortality family obligation sacrifice and duty generational responsibility
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Synopsis

In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse they would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the mountain. But first she must make sure that her eldest son Tatsuhei finds a wife.

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