MEGUMI (2008)

Megumi, 65 min, Japan, Japanese spoken, English subtitled.

Megumi, 52 min, Japanese spoken, Dutch and English subtitled

The Japanese girl Megumi Yokota
On November 15, 1977, 13-year-old Megumi Yokota leaves at 6.00 PM her school in Niigata, a coastal city in Japan, never to come home. Megumi is abducted by North Korean secret agents to teach Japanese to trainee spies but her parents will know that only two decades later. Reunion seems to be close but then the parents are told that Megumi had died, without any conclusive evidence given to this fact. They cannot and will not accept her death. They strongly believe she is still alive and keep on searching up to the present day, trying to finally bring their daughter safe home.
 
The film Megumi
is a poetic and affecting account of tragic loss and the power of hope. The film focuses on the personal loss, hope and longing of her family and those close to Megumi, all of whom patiently await her return. Heartbreaking interviews with the parents of Megumi Yokota, her twin brothers and her former school head are combined with associative poetic fiction scenes with a 13-year old Japanese actress playing the role of Megumi Yokota and a 40 year old Dutch actress.

Asami Fukaya
as Megumi Yokota

Sakie Yokota
Megumi Yokota’s Mother

Shigeru Yokota
Megumi Yokota’s Father

Takuya Yokota
Megumi Yokota’s Brother

Tetsuya Yokota
Megumi Yokota’s Brother

Yoshie Baba
Megumi’s Former Head Master

Chikara Seki
Bus Driver

Yu & Shinobu Watanabe
as the Young Takuya and Tetsuya Yokota