Ikiru

Kanji Watanabe, the dutiful department head of a district public authority learns from his doctor that he is incurably ill with cancer and has only few months to live. The news nearly destroys him and his hitherto respectable lifestyle. He hits the bottle. But no matter what he does to forget his suffering, it is to no avail. Following the example of an employee at his office, who seems to have found a new sense in life making children's toys, Kanji devotes himself to creating a children's playground in order to give some meaning to the last few months of his life. He realises that departing from life in this way is far more pleasant and meaningful than drowning his sorrows in alcohol. On opening day he dies ... peacefully sitting on a swing.



Translated from: Film Festtage in Berlin. Das offizielle Festprogramm der IV. Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin 1954, Nr. 3