Documentary Film: Islands (VHS, 2-Tape Set)

It was shrink-wrapped until I took it out for listing.
I watched it only once to check the contents.
It played without any problems on a standard VCR.
Due to long-term storage, although it was shrink-wrapped, the case has some minor discoloration in certain areas.

It contains very valuable footage and I believe it has documentary value.

[Work Introduction]
1993 / Japan-Russia Co-production / 95 minutes
Director: Otsuka Han / Semyon Aranovich
Cinematography: Sergey Astakhov / Otsu Koshiro
Producer: Yasuyama Atsumi

This documentary film, a Japan-Russia co-production, delves into the Northern Territories issue not merely as a political conflict, but from the perspective of the people who lived there. Produced in 1993, it is divided into two parts.

PART 1: Showa Era (Produced by Japan)
Director: Otsuka Han
In the first part, which traces the memories of former island residents who lived in the Northern Four Islands during the Showa era, their lives and experiences before, during, and after the war are carefully narrated alongside newsreels and archival footage from the time.
Through interviews, the feelings of the Japanese people who were forced to leave their homeland, their nostalgia for their lost land, and the emotional scars that remain unhealed are brought to light.

PART 2: Heisei Era (Produced by Russia)
Director: Semyon Aranovich
The second part shifts the perspective to Russia, focusing on the lives and sentiments of the Russian residents currently living on the Northern Four Islands. Their daily lives amidst the harsh yet beautiful nature are depicted not as mere adversaries in the territorial dispute, but as individuals living their lives, rooted in this land.

This work is an extremely valuable visual record, jointly produced by Japanese and Russian filmmakers who joined hands, respecting each other's positions and emotions.
This film, which quietly and sincerely reflects the voices, memories, and present lives of people often buried under the term Northern Territories issue, will undoubtedly offer much food for thought even today.