Future is MINE
Story Outline
The story is about an Ainu oral historian, Rie Kayano, a resident of Hokkaido’s Nibutani Village, embarking on a personal journey of empowerment. Rie was born in Lake Akan, Hokkaido, renowned for its Ainu cultural roots, where she was exposed from a young age to Ainu song and dance. Having experienced discrimination, she grew up self-conscious and hating her Ainu roots. After graduating from high-school she met friends that helped her renew her interest in Ainu culture. But after marriage, and the birth of her daughter, she found herself, feeling again out of touch with her passion for Ainu culture. It was then that the opportunity to visit the indigenous Seminole tribe of Florida. What did she feel and learn from her experience with the Seminoles…
“Future is MINE”
Future is MINE is a women’s empowerment documentary series. It depicts women in their personal journey of envisioning a future, and taking a brave step towards its realization. Women in many societies face hurdles in self-empowerment, unable to realize their potential and dreams. Future is MINE series are created with the aim encourage women to take a seat at the table, and be the drivers of their own future fulfillment.
Press
Japan Today – A Documentary Focusing On The Modern Day Struggles Of The Ainu
Lexus selects 3 works that make you feel “the charm of Japan’s region, the future of Japan” … Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2020
MINE x Hard Rock
“Everything I do is the dream of my ancestors.”
Tokyo-based media agency MINE has a clear mission: to empower Japanese women. Through the docuseries 'Future is MINE,' we spotlight Japanese women overcoming challenges to find inspiration and success. With support from Hard Rock, we were able to film a new chapter of this series, highlighting women from indigenous cultures. Though worlds apart, they share everything in common.
Story Elements
In this chapter, “Ainu My Voice”, we meet Rie Kayano of Ainu heritage. A culture that wasn’t even officially recognized as native Japanese until 2019. Needless to say it wasn’t an easy road, and at times in her youth Rie wanted to distance herself from her heritage because of the negative stigma. Now with a daughter of her own, she has embraced her Ainu roots and seeks inspiration for how she can help protect her culture and help her community grow.
01
Introducing Rie and the Ainu
02
Meeting the American Seminole tribe
03
Returning home with clear purpose
Trailer
Experience the remarkable journey of unity and cultural exchange in the trailer for a film where the Ainu of Japan meet the Seminole of Florida.
Millions of Viewers
When filming, we intially only planned to air the film on STV, the largest network in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and post it on YouTube. After airing and achieving over 1 million YouTube views, the film was selected to screen at several film festivals, and ultimately even began streaming on Hulu Japan.
