From: http://mubi.com/films/conduct-report-on-professor-ishinaka In Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka, the professor (Shigeo Miyata) is a novelist living in Aomori prefecture, the northernmost tip of Honshu, just south of Hokkaido, but the professor has only a minor role in the film named for his character. He appears in each of the three short vignettes that make up the film as a local authority who is consulted by the townspeople. Each story features the courtship of a young man and woman, and in each instance it is suggested that the professor will undoubtedly write a novel about the events that have transpired. Based on an original story by Yojiro Ishizaka, the film has a reflexive element by which it comments on its own process of taking the materials of everyday life and transforming them into narrative. This realist conceit is enhanced by the rural setting, which is photographed with some care, including the mountainous landscapes and the farmhouse interiors. Many of the actors have strong Aomori accents, and Naruse even includes footage of several local festivals, complete with lanterns, banners, dances, and songs. —Catherine Russell
