Island of Light (2006) - full transcript

English Subtitles by
Stuart J Walton (Sprout)

Hi there.

Hello girls.

Good morning.

Good morning, sir.

See you at the session.

Suzuki.
You don't look well.

She's here.

You're in the way.

Die!

Hiromi Suzuki



You're late, bitch.

Hiromi, we've finished with
you now.

From tomorrow,
Aki is in the box.

She was tough on you,
wasn't she?

Hiromi, it's either beat her,
or get beaten.

Make it a good one or
you're back in the box.

Give it to her.

Do it.

Way to go!

Well done, girl.

You're back in the gans.

Hiromi.

Open this door.

This silent treatment
is very unfair to us.



Hiromi.

Goya-Champuru
(Island of Light)

From Nameless Nana:
I have nowhere fo stay.

My dad was into his hobby.

He went to the beach fo take
photos and he died there.

We never found his body.
I can't accept his death.

I don't want to talk about
my mother.

From Cat:
You don't go fo school, either?

I don't. My parents and
teachers give me hell.

They never notice
I'm being bullied.

I feel like killing myself.

Nameless Nana

Kill yourself if you want.

Much better than living.
Goodbye.

Sending

"Goodbye" is foo sad.

"Things in the adult world
are also in your world.”

“Like bullying someone,
or being bullied by someone.”

"Bystanders just watch
the bullying.”

"Feelings are hidden
just like adults do.”

“Nobody knows your pain.”

"A heartache, isn't it?"

Kenmun?

4 months later

Not at all.
I made too many.

Please enjoy them.

Thank you.

These teachers today
are absolutely useless.

It's not like when your husband
was a principal.

Times have changed.

It's just one of those things.

How's Hiromi recently?

Oh, dear.
I'd better go now.

See you again.

Don't tell that shrew too much.

That woman is nothing
but a gossip-monger.

Will you have some?

No.

When can you fix them?

The bathroom tiles,
I mean.

Hiromi?

I'll leave it here.

Come and eat
with us for a change.

I'm the one who gets scolded
by Grandpa.

We meet again.

Kenmun...

What I need now is water.

I am...

...so thirsty.

But I'll put up with it.

Because I don't want fo be
bothered by family.

Not “family”
but "them."

Kenmun... where are you now?

Please read the poem by
Toson Shimazaki.

Miss Takeyama.

"A coconut drifted ashore
from an unknown, faraway island.”

"Travelling all the way
from its homeland.”

"How long has it been
washed by waves?”

The grave of
Hiromi Suzuki

Why is she so nasty to us?

I don't know what to do.

I never had students
like that in my day.

They'd look me straight in
the eye and say their piece.

I wish her father were here.

Stop being silly.
He's dead.

That girl is stubborn,
just like her mother.

I bet that's Kenmun!

Nana, you need water?

I'm surrounded by the sea.

I'm down in Okinawa.

He's in Okinawa...

"I'm working as an instructor”

"at a dive school on
Iriomote Island.”

"It's a great place.”

"lI bet you're just hanging
out doing nothing.”

"Come down and help me."

Iriomote...

Kenmun is on the same island
where that woman lives.

Ishigaki Island

Services
will resume fomorrow.

Attention.
The final ferry from Iriomote

has arrived at pier No. 6.

Today's service from
Ishigaki Island has ended.

Kenmun...

One month has passed since
Dad was lost at sea.

His funeral was the other day.

No body, so we prayed to
his camera instead.

That was quite weird to see.

Kenmun, about my Mother...

It's taboo to talk about her
at home.

She opposed the family.

She ran away, leaving me.
I was two.

Kenmun, I really need fo
get away.

How is the sky over there?

Sending

Message Sent

Going aboard?

Are you a runaway?

What about school?

What's your name?

Aki.
Aki Sakuma.

How old are you?

I'm sixteen.

Only women over 30
fudge their ages.

I'm Sayo.

Sayo Yoshida.
Call me Sayo.

I'll drive you to the village.

Then help me.

Hurry up.

Hey Ito, I'll deliver your
load later.

Grandma Yoshi.
It's me, Sayo.

It's from your son
in Osaka.

I'll get some pickled papaya.

Did you eat Kimi's Goya?

Was it good?

Her black pearls are great,
aren't they?

Black pearls?

Ryukyu black pearls have
a mysterious glitter

which brings out kindness.

Each one is different
in a subtle way.

Here, pearls have been
passed down for generations

as good-luck amulets.

Grandma Yoshi waits
every day for her luck.

Sometimes she says
"Who are you?"

Thinks we're her grandchildren.

She has many
grandchildren.

But they rarely visit her.

She's started to go senile.

The villagers are concerned
about her,

so they take care of her.

We're all self-sufficient.

You're all very kind.

We never think like that.

That's delicious.

Drink as much as you want.

You can stay here.

If you want.

How much?

I don't want money.

I live all alone.

The simple life.

But I don't cook.

I'll go back to work.
Make yourself at home.

You have no mail

Nameless Nana:
I'm Jonely and all alone.

I lock myself up in my room
and look at my computer.

Kenmun-:
It's beaming sunshine here.

Bright red flowers in bloom.
Wish I could show you.

Clear blue sky here.
I wish we could share Jt.

Sightseeing already?

Anything good to report?

Let's have lunch after I finish.

Come on.
Get in.

Hello, Mr. Inae.

Are you home?

Get the doctor.

It's near Adan,
on the shoreline.

Move!
Tell him Mr. Inae's collapsed.

No!
Which way do I go?

Excuse me.
How do I get to the clinic?

Mr. Inae collapsed.
Sayo sent me for help.

My husband!

Thank you.
I'll get the doctor.

I'll go.

Go straight until
you see a field.

It's straight down from there.

Who cares?

Die if you want.

It sure beats living.

Dying...

You won't die.
You're full of beans.

Mr. Inae...

...he's dying.

Come here, Yasu.

Take care of her.

Mr. Inae's in danger.

Oh my gosh!

"5th anniversary of
foster-home.”

"Foster children & their island mother.”

Kimiko Muraoka...

She's Kidding.

Kimiko Muraoka...

So you're awake?

I think you're anaemic.

I'm Yasu.

Who are you?

—Sakuma...
—That stinks!

It's a stink bus.

It's on me.

It was there
when I washed it.

What a weirdo...

Indeed.
The stink bug is weird.

So you're awake?

Was he alright?

Yes.
The doctor's taking care of him.

This is Aki.

Shall I make another lunch?

Please do.

What's wrong with Mr. Inae?

Terminal cancer.

City doctors gave up on him,
so he came to the island.

You know what a hospice is?

Hospice?

A facility for people
suffering from terminal diseases.

They spend their last days
as they want there.

That's what we call
a hospice.

Shin, the doctor, opened one
here 3 years ago.

In cooperation with a
childhood friend, Kimi.

Kimi was a nurse
for a long time.

They also run a guest-house
and rent another for patients.

Young people must eat meat.

What meat is it?

Goat meat.
Delicious, isn't it?

Goat meat?

I'll finish my rounds.
You go home.

Welcome home.

I'm back!

I'll carry them.

It's too heavy.

You're a tiny tot.

No, I'm not.

Mom,
teacher loved my essay.

Good.
What did you write about?

About you, Mom.

I'm very moved.
Can I read it later?

"Being outdoors can be
very tiring.”

"But I'm fine."

"Because I always lock
my mind."

Sending

That's Shin, the doctor.

Thank you.

Your bravery saved Mr. Inae.

Hey, over here.

Aki, thank you for today.

I was so surprised when
you ran up.

Oh, how refreshing!

How old are you, Aki?

Sixteen.

Where are you from?

Tokyo.

Did your family let you
come here all alone?

They're very understanding.

"Travel broadens a child's mind.”

Mr. Inae!

You shouldn't overdo it.

He wouldn't listen to me.

You are... Aki?

Thank you.

You saved my life.

Mr. Inae...

I feel much better.

And besides you're here.

Forget that I collapsed.

I feel so safe and
wanted here.

You're right.

When you were running,
you were glowing.

As fast as an antelope.

Aki, eat up girl.

Hey, Yasu.

When will you leave the island?

Hurry back to Osaka.

That Osaka accent
is weird.

You just don't know
how to talk!

Are you related to Sayo?

I thought not.
She said she has no one.

She said Yuta' means ‘lonely.'

Yuta?

Yuta' summons the spirits
of the dead,

and gives good
advice to people.

A kind of shaman.

The island has a long history.

Seeing that which others can't
must be lonely.

When she's drunk,
she complains about it.

She'll soon stop snoring.

So you're Aki.

I'm Kenichi Kawashima.

I work at the
divers' shop near Adan.

Are you an islander?

No, I'm from Okayama.

I'm just bumming
along the seacoast.

See you.

Kenmun-:
I'm very open minded.

Everyone's having a party,
getting drunk.

The moon...

Hi, Aki.

I harvested far too much.
Take some home.

Hello, Aki.

I've brought some vegetables.

That's good.

Eat them all up.

We worked very hard
to grow them.

I enjoyed last night.

Aki...
...I must thank you.

Hiromi, it's either beat her,
or get beaten.

It's been so long since
I've had bread.

That's good.

Sayo,
why don't you ever cook?

I don't enjoy eating alone.

Can you see something in me?

I heard you're a shaman.

I don't see anything.

My shaman ‘Yuta'
can see nothing

until you open your mind
to her.

Once I was taken seriously ill.

I went to doctors
but none could cure me.

I was on the verge of death.

I visited so many ‘Utaki'
where you pray to God.

I went and prayed there
for God to cure me.

Eventually I recovered.

I got divorced, too.
I just wanted to die.

Around then, I started seeing
things ordinary people don't see.

God can be cruel.

But the Yutas on this island
have all experienced such things.

And they can hear oracles.

Sayo, are you asleep?

Listen, Sayo...

...I haven't

...I haven't been
going to school.

Why not?

I'm afraid of school.

Friends become your enemies.

Everyone's under
so much stress.

And all searching for the
next person to bully.

You can't reveal
your true feelings.

The teachers and Grandpa
never notice anything.

All they say is
I just have to put up with it.

You can stay here
as long as you like.

City people are all
far too busy.

They only fulfil their roles
in family or at work.

Kimi told me that after
she came back from Tokyo.

Good night.

Nameless Nana:
Grandpa is forever a principal.

It's a month since Dad was /ost.

We just had his funeral.

No body, so we prayed to
his camera instead.

"It's taboo to talk about her
at my place.”

"The family all hated her.”

"She ran away when
I was two.”

"All T need now is water.”

"I'm very thirsty.”

"But I'll put up with it.”

"I don't want them
to bother me.”

Kenmun, being out all the time
is tiring, too.

But I'm fine.

Because I can always lock my mind.

Hello, Aki.

Got plenty of water?

"All T need now is water.”

"Come and help me.”

So you actually came,
Nameless Nana.

Kenmun.

Bend your knees.

Watch me.

Now you try it.

Are you okay?

Good.
Let's go.

I never thought you'd come.

You're very brave.

Just like you said.

About the Hibiscus,
they're such a bright red.

Your mail has really
cheered me up.

You're so free
and you never preach.

I bet I'm different
to your image of me.

No, not at all.

I'm glad you came
to see me.

The first mail friend
to visit me.

I'll show you around the
island.

Hey, what's up?

You're full of beans,
aren't you?

To be honest, I didn't come
just to see you.

My mother is also here
on the island.

Your mail really shocked me.

Being on the same island
as my mother.

But I have no
real memories of her.

Dad always put off
any discussion about her.

Have you told her yet?

I don't think I will.
I'll just head back home.

So, Kenmun...

...please keep this a secret.

Sure.

She's still on the island?

She didn't take the ferry out.

So she's not on Ishigaki Island.

There are poisonous snakes
in the hills.

I've prepared serum.

Let's start searching.

Don't worry Yoko.
It's not your fault.

We'll soon find Mika.

Mika has gone missing.

They're supposed to go back to
Nagoya tomorrow.

But Mika didn't want to go home.

Mika's asthmatic and Yoko
came to keep her company.

Yoko wants to go back home.

But Mika refused to.

So they got into a fight.

I tried to follow her.

But I lost her at the
edge of the forest.

We understand, Yoko.

Watch her.

I'll go start a search.

She could be there.

Near the hollow tree.
That mountain track.

She was there yesterday.

You know the place?

Maybe.
There's a big sappan tree.

Get in.

We're almost there.

Not this tree.
It's a little bit further.

Hey, Takuro.

Find her?

Where is she?

We'll try the point.

Did you find her?

—Not yet.
—TI'll search up here.

Here?

I thought she'd be here.

It all looks the same.
I'm lost.

I'll keep searching.

You head back to town.

Stay with me
or you'll get lost.

Mika, answer me
if you're in here.

Answer me.

Mika, what's wrong?

Are you hurt?

Are you okay, Mika?

You've hurt your leg.

I won't go home.

I want to stay on the island.

But you can't.

You've regained your health.

You must go home
with your sister.

I want to stay here.

I'm so pleased to hear that.

But if you do,
you'll soon miss your sister.

That's not good.

You can come back any time.

Everyone's so worried about you.

They're all searching for you.

Let's go.

Can you stand up?

Here's Yoko.

I'm sorry, Sis.

Now we can go home tomorrow.

Good.

Aki.

Thank you, dear.

Do you take photos?

Yes, I'm a tourist.

That's Toshiko's granddaughter.

She's leaving here soon.

She'll attend
school in Okinawa.

Toshiko's teaching her
the island traditions.

I saw Hiromi yesterday.

She's so much like you.

Especially her eyes.
That same piercing look.

I thought maybe she's your daughter.

When did you start to
notice the resemblance?

At first,
I didn't really notice it at all.

But she smells the same.

She smells just the same
as when she was a baby.

I still remember that smell.

Sayo told me she had run away
from home.

Then I realized it was her.

Kenmun, I met my mother.

Kimiko Muraoka?

My grandparents always
told me that my mom was

a stubborn woman
from the southern islands.

She took Dad's spirit with her

when she ran away
and left me.

But...

“I only believe what I can see.”

“I only believe in the adults
I respect.”

"That's all I can say.”

Thanks for taking care
of them all year.

Thank you for everything.

You're most welcome.
Thank you.

I'm sorry about Mika's les.

Not at all.
I'm glad they're both so healthy.

Did you have a
good time here?

Goodbye, Mother.

Goodbye, Island Mother!

Come again.
Promise me you will.

Ah, we meet again.

They're very sweet.

And so well-ripened.

The fragrance alone
fills my belly.

Please eat it.

Thank you.

Various people come and go.

That's the way here.

Mr. Inae will soon die.

We must see him off.

Doctor.

Please take the mask off.

Please.

Doctor, let him say farewell
to Yoshiko.

My dear...

Yoshiko, thank you.

You have suffered so much,
my dear.

Now you can be at peace.

The time of death is 10:40pm.

They're very sweet.

Hiromi, give me a big smile.

No way.

Akihiro's body will be
never found...

He's been missing for two days.
There's no hope now.

I shall protect you.

You know,
I've always thought...

Who cares if I die?
It must be easier than living.

I thought Mr. Inae had
no connection to me at all.

But he gave me a guava.

Because he couldn't
eat them anymore.

He told me how sweet...

I hated Dad for dying
because of his stupid hobby.

He left me all alone.

But he really did die.

I'll never see him again.

If you die, it's truly the end.

But I preferred death
to having to live on.

That wasn't your true mind.

We only think like that
when we're depressed.

But now you're not all alone,
are you?

Why did you come here?

Hello, Aki.

Where's Kimi?

She's back at Adan by now.

Mr. Inae did very well.

What's wrong, Aki?

I'm not Aki.
I'm Hiromi.

Aki is the name of a friend
from primary school.

She bullied me,
so we're not friends now.

I tried very hard to go to school.

But then they chose her as
the next target.

And I...

Even though I knew how
much pain it causes...

...I beat her just like the others did.

I actually hit her.

My heart ached.

I frightened myself.

I haven't attended school
since last June.

I locked myself up in my room.

I didn't say a word
to my grandparents.

My father is dead.

He went out
to photograph whales last May.

He had a boating accident.

Did you know who I was?

How did you know?

The day after you came here,

I called your grandparents
in Tokyo.

They're so worried about you.

So you knew?

But it wasn't my place to
tell you I'm your mother.

I'm the one who
abandoned you there in Tokyo.

Now you're all grown up.

Akihiro, your father I mean,
and I met on the island.

We got married and started
living with his parents.

Then you came along.

I never thought...

...I never thought
we'd end up like this.

It's a very difficult thing

for two people to keep
going in the same direction.

I'm a very stubborn woman.

But listen, Hiromi...

...I'm so happy to see you.

Because I...

...I realize that our lives
will forever be linked together.

Thank you.

Dad used to make this for me.

Did he?
Here.

I partake.

Delicious.

This is the original.

You can put anything in
Goya-Champuru.

Put it all in the pan
and fry with oil.

What does Champuru mean?

The Goya cucumber is far too
bitter by itself.

But if you mix it with other food,

it makes a perfect dish.

Champuru also stands for
a kindly welcome.

This is for you, Hiromi.

It was my mother's.

Mother...

I'm glad that I'm your daughter.

And glad I came here.

Come on.
Eat up, sirl.

Eat it all.

It's delicious.

I'll always protect you.

What did you say?

That's the island of 'Maburai.'

‘Maburai'?

It means
“to be protected by past souls.”

Islands are like people.

They're all living in a
big ocean.

Like us, they're all lonely.

But they're all guarded, too.

Death is not the end.

The soul remains.

These souls protect their
loved ones from the heart.

We'll meet again, dear.

Doctor, please.

Mr. Inae!

It's spotless.

You cleaned,
so do I have to cook?

Thank you so much
for everything, Sayo.

No need for that,
we're friends.

You idiot!
That could have been fatal!

Check the tanks thoroughly,
I told you.

I'm sorry.

I lied to you.

I'm not a dive instructor yet.

I'm still studying.

It's nothing.

I found the BBS of kids like you
who lock themselves away.

It made me feel superior
to them.

I thought I was so cool.

But it's just the opposite.

The reality of my own dream
has almost crushed me.

The sea, the flowers, even
the sun are too bright for me.

Then what is your dream?

To be a diver and find the
perfect diving spot.

When 1 do,
I'll open the perfect dive shop.

“I only believe what I can see.”

“I only believe in the adults
I respect.”

What will you do, Hiromi?

First of all, I'll go home.

After that,
I haven't decided.

Cast

Mikako Tabe

Kohei Takeda

Misako Oshiro

Jun Fubuki

Directed by
Tetsuya Matsushima