johatsu - into thin air

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2024

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feature length documentary film

by Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori 

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Every year, thousands of people vanish without a trace in Japan. Known as the Johatsu, or “the evaporated,” they abandon their lives for various reasons, a troublesome relationship, mounting debts or threats from the mafia. Some get support from so-called “night moving” companies, which help people to disappear and start a new life somewhere else. Taking an intimate look into the phenomenon of “evaporating people,” JOHATSU – INTO THIN AIR depicts the inner conflicts and attempts at reconciliation of those who have disappeared and those who have been left behind.

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26th Thessaloniki iDF 2024 "International Competition" - NOMINATION: "Golden Alexander" (World premiere)
21st CPH:DOX 2024 "Highlights"
20th ZagrebDox “Controversial Dox”
39th DOK.fest Munich - WINNER: "VIKTOR Main Competition DOK.international"
27th DocsBarcelona “International Competition Docs&Pearls”
11th dokKa Film Festival Karlsruhe “Competition”
64th Krakow Film Festival "International Competition" - NOMINATION: "Golden Horn"
24th Nippon Connection Frankfurt am Main “Nippon Docs”
26th Shanghai IFF "International Panorama"
26th Encounters South African IDF "Official Selection"
21st EBS iDF “Festival Choice: Competition”

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Germany / Japan 2024 (86 / 52 min)

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Directors: Andreas Hartmann & Arata Mori

Editor: Kai Eiermann (BFS)

Composers: Jana Irmert & Mika Takehara

Additional Music: Fabrizio Tentoni

Sound Design: Nils Vogel

Re-recording Mixer: Linus Nickl

Commissioning Editors: Petra Felber, Martin Kowalczyk (BR), Monika Lobkowicz (BR/ARTE)

Broadcasters: Bayerischer Rundfunk, ARTE, SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen & yesDocu

Sponsors: Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien & Film- und Medienstiftung NRW

German Distributor: Real Fiction

International Sales: CAT&Docs

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Grants and Awards

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• VIKTOR Main Competition DOK.international" WINNER at 39th DOK.fest Munich 

• Development supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW “Gerd Ruge Grant”

• Selected for the “Masters Pitch” at the DOK.fest Munich 2019

• Nominated for the “German Composition Funding Award” at the DOK.fest Munich 2019

• “Sunny Side of the Doc Pitch Prize” at the DOK.fest Munich 2019

• Participant at the Sunny Side of the Doc international marketplace, La Rochelle – France 2019

• Selected for the DOK Leipzig Co-Pro Market 2019

• Production grants by BKM – Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien and Film- und Medienstiftung NRW

• “D-Facto Motion Works-in-Progress Prize” at DOK Preview Germany – DOK Leipzig 2023