Into the Picture Scroll: The Tale of Yamanaka Tokiwa Dir/Scr: Haneda Sumiko   Prod: Kudo Mitsuru Prod Co: Jiyu Kobo   Narrator: Kita Michie Cast: Kataoka Kyoko 2004 / Colour / 35mm / Japanese / Eng Subtitles / 100min

In Into the Picture Scroll: The Tale of Yamanaka Tokiwa, Haneda ingeniously animates a scroll painting into a captivating story. She transposes onto celluloid the famous 12-scroll, 150-meter Yamanaka Tokiwa parchments, created by the painter Iwasa Matabe and considered a national treasure of Japan. The film closes in on the images, revealing details not ordinarily seen by the naked eye, adding compelling drama to the story of the legendary hero Ushiwaka-maru. It is also accompanied by a score of joruri music, featuring haunting ballads and samisen playing.