Mizu no Koe wo Kiku
Mizu no Koe wo Kiku (Japanese: 水の声を聞く), released internationally as The Voice of Water, is a 2014 Japanese drama film directed by Masashi Yamamoto. The film explores the life of a young woman navigating personal identity, cultural heritage, and the influence of a religious group in Tokyo.
Plot
The story centers on Min-Jung (played by Hyunri), a young Zainichi Korean woman living in a Korean enclave in Tokyo. Encouraged by her friend, she begins working as a street-side fortune teller. Her unique presence attracts the attention of an advertising executive named Akao (Jun Murakami), who identifies commercial potential in her persona. Min-Jung eventually becomes a central figure—a priestess—for a cult known as "God's Water." Her life becomes further complicated by the sudden reappearance of her father, who is being pursued by aggressive debt collectors. As her involvement with the group deepens, Min-Jung begins to confront her own background and the instability of her circumstances.
Production and Release
The film was written and directed by Masashi Yamamoto and produced by Cinema Impact. It features a runtime of 129 minutes and was released in Japan on August 30, 2014. The film was screened at several international film festivals, including the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in 2015, the 15th Nippon Connection, and the 9th JAPAN CUTS festival.
Cast
The film features an ensemble cast, including:
- Hyunri as Min-Jung
- Shuri as Mina Sakai
- Jun Murakami as Akao
- Akihiro Kamataki as Mikio
- Natsuko Nakamura as Sae
- Riku Hagiwara as Shinji
- Hayate Matsuzaki as Mamoru Komiya
- Izumi Minai as Yoshie Komiya
- Takashi Oda as Takazawa
