History of Grand narrative

佐方 晴登 / Haruto Sakata

大きな物語の歴史 / History of Grand narrative

2023.12.12 (tue) – 12.24 (sun)

Open 12:00 – 19:00 Closed Mondays

私が三里塚闘争に関心を持ったのは、二年前の夏頃からである。
元々断片的に闘争について知っていた私は、三里塚を撮影した写真家の展覧会が開催される事を知った。この地に関心が向いた私は、リサーチを進め、当時の状況について詳しく知るようになった。また、現地を見てみたいという好奇心に駆られ、足繁く通うことになった。

現代の政治問題とも繋がるこの住民運動は、社会に対する異議申し立てをする者にとっては絶好の場所なのだろう。多種多様な人々がこの地を訪れ、そして去った。私も当初それを模索していた。しかし、膨大な歴史を抱えるこの土地は、個人の思想など跳ね返してしまう強力な力があるように感じた。

私は中立を標榜し、闘争が起きた土地の風景を見つめることにした。現在も継続中の運動ではあるが、歴史化した事象として捉え、客観的視点で見てみたいと思ったのだ。小川紳介は、中立は欺瞞であり、農民の立場で撮るべきだと言ったそうだが、私は「加担する映画」の方法論ではなく、理想としての中道を貫きたいと考えた。

過去の大きな物語を、風景を通じて見るとはどういう事か。本気で革命を信じた学生達。空港建設が中止され、新たな開放区、ユートピア建設を夢見た農民達。空港によって国の発展を願った人々。大きな物語が復権しつつある現在、往時のイデオロギー対立の構造を、風景を通じて見る事で、新たなる思想を導き出せないだろうか。


I became interested in the Sanrizuka struggle around two years ago, in the summer. Although I initially had a fragmented understanding of the struggle, my interest grew when I learned of an exhibition by a photographer who had captured images of Sanrizuka. Driven by curiosity, I began researching to gain a deeper understanding of the situation at the time and found myself frequently visiting the area.

This grassroots movement, which has ties to contemporary political issues, is perhaps an ideal place for those looking to voice their dissent in society. A diverse range of people have come and gone from this area. Initially, I was exploring that very diversity. However, I felt that the land, with its vast history, possessed a powerful force that might overshadow individual beliefs.

I decided to adopt a neutral stance, focusing on observing the landscapes where the struggle took place. While the movement is still ongoing, I wanted to view it as a “struggle of the past” from an objective perspective. Although Shinsuke Ogawa reportedly said that one should shoot from the farmers’ viewpoint and that neutrality is deceptive, I chose to pursue the middle path as an ideal, rather than the methodology of a “participatory film.”

What does it mean to see the grand narratives of the past through landscapes? The students who fervently believed in revolution. The farmers who dreamed of a new liberated zone, a utopia, when the airport construction was halted. The people who hoped for the growth of the nation thanks to the airport. As grand narratives are becoming prominent again, could we perhaps derive new ideas by observing the structures of past ideological conflicts through these landscapes?

佐方 晴登 / Haruto Sakata

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