Zen and Bones

Henry Mittwer is a 93-year-old Zen monk living in Kyoto. Despite his age, he's determined to make a film about an orphaned girl's longing for her mother. The idea for the film isn't too dissimilar from Henry's own life. Born in Japan to an American father and Japanese mother, Henry, at 22, heads to the US to find his estranged father. While there, World War II breaks out and Henry is sent to a concentration camp. After the war, he eventually makes it back to Japan, where the idea for his film materializes. He tries to find investors but no one is interested. He grows older and older until one day he collapses. Using declassified FBI documents, animation and dramatic reenactments, this epic documentary depicts the turbulent and amazing life of Henry, which, containing the scars and memories of history, invites us to look back on our past. Selected for BIFF's AND Fund, this film is all the more meaningful given that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. (Busan International Film Festival)