Brief Explanation

Since 1820, Johnnie Walker, the world’s No. 1 scotch whisky has never stopped moving forward. In 2011, just as Johnnie Walker was about to launch its first brand campaign in Japan in ten years, Japan was struck by a great earthquake and tsunami. This project, a series of films based on the Johnnie Walker slogan “Keep Walking” (=personal progress, each and every one continuing to move forward) became a message of hope and support for the Japanese people and Japan’s future. Famous Japanese film directors who were also eager to restore Japan’s vitality agreed to participate in the Keep on Walking Theatre project. At the end of the day, six short films were produced, of which three are being entered in this contest. Film③Our Roots In September 2011, typhoon No. 12 hit Japan. Totsukawa village in Nara Prefecture was severely affected by landslides and flooding. One family, in particular, had for generations grown wasabi (Japanese horseradish) in the mountains above the village. These were people who would never abandon the place that they were born. Through its portrayal of people who keep on going in the face of cruel realities, this documentary film asks what we who see it will be willing to do for the sake of future generations.