Filmmaker Statement

Kodama is a film that was born out of a deep appreciation for the endlessly rich and mysterious world of Japanese folklore and it's lasting cultural significance. I really wanted to see what the Samurai would look like today if they had survived the rapid industrialization/westernization of Japan with a supernatural twist. I was really inspired by the idea that in the Shinto religion, the spirits are intertwined with the physical/natural world. In Shinto, the kami are not considered transcendent or separate from the world but rather immanent within it. In the case of Kodama, they are severed from that connection and I wanted to see if I could visually show that conflict in everything from the environment being half nature half industrial, to the costumes being half traditional Samurai half American tactical. I also felt a desire to touch of a feeling I was undergoing where I started seeing my parents less as parents and more as peers which ultimately brought us closer to each other.