The Silk Tree Ballad (1974) - full transcript

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Produced by:

Mariko Miyagi

THE SILK TREE BALLAD

This is Shizuoka Prefecture.

Located on the top of a hill where you can look

over the Enshu Coast is Nemunoki preschool.

We have a bigger tub too.

- Coming. Coming. Coming.

- I've brought every one of them from there.

This must be a male crab.

Is it a male?

Does it hurt?

Does it hurt?

Big!

- Okay, good!

- I am going to release a crab.

Is it okay?

I am going to release a crab.

- You will have a crab soon.

- It's going that way!

Everyone should be welcomed.

Minatsu!

Release it into the pool. Okay?

It's going that way.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

- I am going to make him take a bath.

- Miss! Miss!

He's doing something with his feet.

What are you doing? Going up?

- He is not going to sleep until evening.

- He keeps contracting and relaxing his belly muscle.

- Stop.

- Stop.

They cannot open their wings

nor can they fly.

Wait for a bit!

Ah, not that.

This way! This way!

Hey, here it is.

- Catch them? Should I?

- Should we?

Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Ladybugs

I like Ladybugs

Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Ladybugs

My precious Ladybug

Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Ladybugs

My tiny little Ladybug

Going to School

Drawing Lesson

Everyone is excited raisingvoices.

But it seems you have balls above too.

Whether this promise

was kept or not...

Whether this promise

was kept or not...

Japanese Lesson

Whether this promise

was kept or not...

...tell other classmates or

the organizer here about that.

Math Lesson

Good luck!

Math Lesson

- Teacher!

- A bit too fast.

On target!

I only got this one, Miss!

Evaluate it after.

One, two, three...!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

Physical Therapy

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

Okay!

Okay, follow the teacher.

From the start.

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten!

One, two, three, four, five, six...

Miss...

Miss!

Be careful with your feet.

Miss... Miss...

Good! Here I am!

- Is it hard?

- Not hard.

Not hard!

Toshimitsu!

Next, feet...

Good job!

Keep going, keep going.

Hang on!

Be careful with your feet.

Miss... Miss...

- Is it hard? Hard?

- Not hard!

Hey, look!

There is something white on it.

- I don't know...

- Look!

There's a strawberry flower.

- Look at the flower.

- Isn't it pretty?

Got it! It's big!

- Have a good meal!

- Have a good meal!

You've found it.

You're first!

Music Lesson

- Don't go there.

- Here!

- Miss!

- Here!

The story is

"The Prince and the Beggar".

Today, I'm reading a section called

"The Friends inside The Palace".

Please, get into your classroom

and listen carefully.

What happened to the prince and

the beggar left inside the palace?

3 A.M.:

Getting Up to Go to the Bathroom

One, two, three, four, five, six!

Seven, eight!

One, two,three, four, five, six!

Seven, eight!

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight!

One, two, three, four, five, six!

Yakko suffers from cerebral palsy.

Her legs are very thin from her knees down.

That's why she uses sticks to support herself.

She has a dream.

"If my legs were to recover, I would

run over a crosswalk in pink rain boots..."

"...as soon as the light turned green."

"And I would keep the sticks

rather than throw them away."

"I would make them longer and lend them

if someone had legs worse than mine."

"If someone had shorter legs, I would

make them shorter and lend them."

"I would run over a crosswalk with an

umbrella when the light turned green."

Yakko has never worn rain

boots since she was born.

And she has been admitted with Toshimitsu

for surgery to lengthen her Achilles tendons.

I was desperate, thinking about

the anxious feeling before surgery.

Yakko, don't be scared!

It's not scary. Not even a tiny bit.

I will be with you during surgery.

Pick up the pink flower.

That's right.

Are you going to put

it on your head?

Ah! You are buying the same

pink rain boots. Buying them...

Don't be scared.

When the black anesthetic mask comes

onto you, just breathe in and out deepl y.

When you do it, they will

cast a magic spell on you.

It's not scary when you

are under it.

I will be looking at

you during surgery.

Don't be scared.

Don't be scared.

Don't be scared.

Don't be scared.

Hey, I promised you.

We would run to the beach

when your legs get better.

Right?

Last year's Christmas...

You promised, right?

That this Christmas, you'd walk again.

Yakko... Toshimitsu...

And then, after surgery,

you will get casts on your legs.

And then, they will take them

off later, and you will train hard.

Surgical Room

And then, they will take them

off later, and you will train hard.

And then, they will take them

off later, and you will train hard.

After that, you will be able to walk.

Toshimitsu, don't be scared.

Breathe in and out. In and out...

In and out...

In and out...

It's not scary at all, right?

Don't be scared.

See? It's over.

You'll be fine.

Toshimitsu... Yakko...

Ah... where did you two go?

With that white dress,

you look like a bride.

And Toshimitsu... looks like a groom.

You got out of the Hospital?

The little bride and groom.

Toshimitsu collects pink flowers

and gives them to her.

Yakko looks happy.

Hydrotherapy

To celebrate the discharge from the Hospital,

Toshimitsu plays with a baby in a department store.

2 years ago?

Ah, last year's summer...

2 years ago?

Ah, last year's summer...

Orthopedic Surgeon

Masaya Kawabata

Orthopedic Surgeon

Masaya Kawabata

The size of the wheelchair...

Ah, this is the current one...

This is a heavy one.

From this, I think he is balancing his body

relatively well when he pushes the chair...

He even uses the repulsive force.

He cannot yet make accurate

movements with his hands though.

- Hello.

- Hello.

Come here.

From there, move that way.

Take off your socks.

Check-Up

Raise your knee and hold.

Yes, look at that!

How does it look?

Hey, make your ankle like this.

Stand up. Raise your leg.

- She cannot.

- Ah, you cannot.

Why? Why are you nervous?

- Wait for a bit.

- Yes, yes.

This seems to be the problem.

It won't work that way.

- It starts hurting.

- Ah, does it hurt?

Wait for a bit.

Raise your knee and hold.

Please wait for a bit.

Squat for a bit.

Squat for a bit.

- Why?

- Yes.

- Still standing without supports looks unstable.

- That's right.

I can see that the left-right

balance is imperfect.

But it depends on how he will do.

That kind of movement

always has a potential risk.

- He must learn how to do it more properly. Right?

- Yes.

He tries to move like that even after

getting off from the wheelchair, right?

And how much can he do?

Good luck!

Hidetoshi Nakamura

3-37, Oshima, Misaki

Akira Nakamura

Hidetoshi Nakamura

3-37, Oshima, Misaki

Akira Nakamura

Hidetoshi Nakamura

Hidetoshi Nakamura

His father was a victim of the atomic bomb 2.5

km away from downtown in Hiroshima in 1945.

And, in 1954...

...he passed through the bombing experiment

area around the Bikini Island as a sailor.

Finall y, he was forcefull y

admitted to a Hospital.

His mother prematurel y delivered

him just 6 months later.

He was diagnosed as having spastic

paral ysis of limbs caused by cerebral palsy.

Hidetoshi Nakamura.

Sadl y, at the

end of his record...

...it says that he is not

able to move in general.

Wow!

Make it louder! Wow!

- You can do it!

- We can do it!

Good!

It's the field day that

everyone was waiting for.

The onl y thing that Yakko

needs is courage.

That's right, courage.

Okay, okay? Let's do it.

Okay? You can do it.

- I cannot do it yet.

- You can do it here.

- You can do it! You can do it!

- Everything is okay.

- You can do it. It's okay.

- Try it. Do it.

- Just like you did yesterday, right?

- Do it. Give her that.

- I can't.

- "We are..."

"We are..."

Miss, we are here

today for the field day...

...on May 7... 1973.

Yakko recovered her courage.

Five, six!

Ah, I did it! I did it!

They're big, aren't they?

They're very big, right?

Really big!

Let's go!

Huh?

Everyone, cheer them

louder, please!

The cheeringvoices of some

people are still too low!

Miss!

Two of us...

It took the two of us some

time to finish the work, right?

- Two of us.

- Yes.

That's why.

Let's play more.

Give me one more.

- Here, 100 yen.

- Look!

I made 3 brothers...

Yes, this is it.

On the field day,

Yakko didn't use the sticks.

And Toshimitsu....

they are not confident.

And they told Tomoko,

who is waiting for the surgery...

...that it is not scary at all

and to just breathe in and out.

They smile even on a cold day

They smile even on a hot day.

They smile even on a rainy day

They are always with

each other

Uncle and Nari

Uncle and Nari

What are they talking about?

Nobody knows what they

are talking about

Nobody knows what those

two are talking about

Nari and Uncle

And their secret conversation

Nobody knows

What those two

are talking about

They actuall y know

what it is about

Even if nobody tells

The sun smiles

The breeze smiles

The green leaf caresses

their cheeks

Nari and Uncle

Nari and Uncle

They are very good

friends with each other

They are talking to each other

They were going as good friends, but when

they were coming back, he became a king

On the wheelbarrow,

Nari enjoys it so much

Nari is a king

Nari is a king

Move over! Move over!

Excuse me!

Sorry for the wait!

The king is passing

Move over! Move over!

This path is my path

Even if it is very

rough and uneven

It still is my precious path

Nari is a king

The king is in a good mood

Move over! Move over!

This is my precious path

I am a tiny king

The king is in a good mood

Nari and Uncle

And their secret conversation

Nari is a king

Nari is a king

The tower of Nemunoki

Is the onl y thing that

everyone knows

Akihiro, he is more

realistic about everything.

- Welcome.

- Show me the ticket!

- The bus starts now!

- Wait a sec please! I go buy a ticket!

Ah! I messed up!

I got a flat tire.

Money. Money. Money.

Vroom!

The next stop is...

- The next stop is...

- Standby okay...

Everything okay...

Vroom!

- The traffic is heavy today.

- It's usually like this on the way back.

Vroom!

- Is everything okay?

- Yes!

- A red roof!

- I can see a red roof.

- Where is Nemunoki?

- It's in Tokyo.

- How long to get there?

- About 30 minutes!

- Thank you...

- We will get off soon.

We can see it already,

but it's still tiny.

- Yes, we can...

- I can see it, but it's still tiny.

Vroom!

- Do we take that way?

- Yes. It's shaking...

Yes, it is.

Vroom!

- We're going up!

- We're going up!

Ah, it's shaking.

We're going up!

We are falling...

We are going up...

We are even going up further!

Everyone! Look above!

- I have to transform it into a rocket.

- I am excited.

I am transforming it

into a rocket.

This is Tokyo's sky.

This is Tokyo's sky.

The emperor is passing now!

Stop, stop!

A boy running over a field.

A boy achieving his dream.

Today, he's transforming into a

flower blooming on the field again.

Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug

I like Ladybugs

Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug

My tiny little Ladybug

One day, one morning,

when it was rainy

Grave of a Ladybug and Frog

One day, one morning,

when it was rainy

One day, one morning,

when it was rainy

My Ladybug died

Without knowing my heart

Without knowing how

sad I would become

Ladybug, Ladybug,

why did you die?

I made a grave for you

Do you know my heart now?

Do you know how sad I am?

You are such a fool, Ladybug

Ladybug...

Ladybug...

Ladybug...

My tiny little Ladybug...

Hidetoshi Going to the

Hospital for Treatment

One, two, three!

Stretch your legs. Keep doing it.

Tell me when it's painful.

Is it okay? Okay?

You have improved.

It's not over yet...

Not finished yet?

Etsumi - Wedge Standing

Satoshi - Lower Limbs

Yasumi - Each Leg

Narumi - Back Muscle

Hidetoshi - Each Knee

Hiroyuki - Push-Up

Tomoko - Thigh Muscles

Keiko - Parallel Bars

Toshimitsu - Grab Training

Hiromi - Stall Bars

- So... Toshimitsu, you forgot this...

- But I cannot...

You didn't tell me...

Five, six, seven...

Eight, nine, ten...

Eleven, twelve...

Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...

Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen...

Nineteen, twenty...

Twenty one, twenty two, twenty three...

Twenty four, twenty five, twenty six...

Twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine...

Thirty! Very well!

Physical Therapist

Atsushi Tanioka

Nothing happens...

Physical Therapist

Atsushi Tanioka

Physical Therapist

Atsushi Tanioka

Nothing happens? That's right.

Forget everything. Just do it...

- It doesn't work...

- It doesn't work?

You really can't do it?

One more, one more.

- One more!

- One, two, three, four, five.

That's it. A bit more.

- Here, one more.

- Just one more.

- It hurts...

- You moved!

It's like being born again.

- Follow Tanioka's legs.

- Just follow Tanioka's legs...

You did it! You did it!

It hurts. You did it!

That's it... Good...

Do it if you are a big boy...

- Good!

- A big boy... are you a big boy?

- I'm a big boy.

- A big boy! You're going to do it?

- Are you a girl?

- A girl?

- A girl?

- More, more! Amazing!

Are you a big boy?

Try it!

- Are you a big boy?

- I'm a big boy!

Show you're a big boy. Go.

Stand up.

- Are you a big boy? A girl?

- I'm a big boy!

- You are a big boy. Do it!

- One more time!

Show me you are a big boy

You are a big boy, right?

- Do it!

- I will do it...

Let's go. You can do it.

- You're a big boy.

- That's it!

Show me you are a big boy!

Show me you are a big boy!

Go that way! That way!

Make a bigger step, bigger.

Good. You can do it.

Good.

We're going there, over there.

More, do it properly.

Head up, head up,

otherwise you cannot move.

Head up, otherwise you

cannot move forward.

Good. One more.

Good, good.

What's up? It's a bit strange today.

Everything looks good to me. Head up.

Good luck... Darn...

Ouch... My elbow...

Practicing Biking Up

Sand Dunes

Do your best!

- Let's go.

- Do your best!

Do your best. Don't give up.

Do your best!

Do your best! Do your best!

Do your best!

Do your best!

You can't give up! Go!

Do your best! A little bit more.

Do your best!

Do your best! Do your best!

You're almost there!

- Do your best!

- Fight!

Do your best!

Do your best! Do your best!

Let's go! It's right ahead!

Do your best! Do your best!

- Do your best! Do it.

- Come on, come on!

- Fight! Fight!

- Fight! Fight!

You're a big boy!

- Very well!

- Good work, everybody!

One day, one time,

a boy

Was looking over the sea

The white, blue sea

The shiny sea

I run over the waves

I run over the blue sea

Beyond the sea

The sea is blue

The waves are white

I run over the waves

I run over the blue sea

Was the dream I had

last night real?

One time, a boy

Was looking over

the sea forever

He kept thinking

About the continuance of his dream

The blue sky, the sea,

the white waves

And my heart

Direction and Music by:

Mariko Miyagi

Cinematography by:

Kōzō Okazaki

Recording by:

Jūnosuke Okuyama

Editing by:

Michio Suwa

This ballad is dedicated to all disabled children.

- Mariko Miyagi