MizukoMizuko

A baby in mother's womb is called a fetus. When they are born, they are called an infant. Then amongst the fetuses, what do we call a baby that did not or could not be born? In Japanese, the word ‘mizuko’ means ‘the child of the water’. It can also refer to the Buddhist ritual that is for mourning an unborn baby. The film begins with the sound of water. Then in Japanese and English, a woman shares her experience of abortion through memories in Japan and experiences in New York. The watercolor toned childhood image of the beaches of Okinawa and the cityscape of New York captured by a rough super 8mm and stop-motion animation are beyond just physical spaces. Not only do the two spaces resemble two worlds of emotions for the Japanese-American woman, but they are also a space where a name for the unborn baby exists or doesn’t, and ultimately it is a desired space of hope for the unborn baby. Additionally, the film itself is a ritual to the ‘child of the water’. It is lyrical on the surface, but full on suffering and hope on the inside, at the same time  it is a very realistic  animated documentary. (LEE Seungmin)