Ammonites were a kind of snail-like precursor to today's mollusks, common in the seas of the Cretaceous period, many millions of years ago. They are among the most commonly found fossils, so they must have been extremely plentiful. In this meditative and largely unstructured first feature, a young geologist is traveling by train to visit his sister in the countryside after having received a disturbing and mysterious letter from her. As he travels, he remembers his childhood fixation with rocks, nurtured by his mother, and his very strong affection for his sister.
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A brother travels north to visit his sister after she falls ill. On his journey, the past, present, and future interweave as the young man descends into a world of dreams and memories, mediated by the spiral shell of the ammonite.
The debut feature film by prolific experimental filmmaker Isao Yamada, I’VE HEARD THE AMMONITE MURMUR narratively recalls Kenji Miyazawa’s relationship with his sister Toshi and is marked by a similar poetic wistfulness and tranquility. Rarely screened since being selected for the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Spectacle is honored to present the 30th anniversary restoration, officially translated into English for the first time, alongside a selection from Yamada’s vast catalog of short films. (Spectacle NYC)
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