Buta ga ita kyôshitsu

Our nature is such that we care most for the people we are related to, and know on a personal level. Otherwise, it's likely everything else is just a number, a statistic, something that feels so distant that it's genuinely difficult for us to sympathize, or emphatize beyond a cursory statement that explains how we should feel as decent human beings. In increasing levels of concern when a tragedy occurs, if something strikes overseas, it's unfortunate. If it's local then it's lucky it didn't affect someone we know. If it does and it's not family, we offer our condolences. If someone we know becomes collateral damage, we suffer inconsolable rage even.

School Days with a Pig plays along this line where teacher Mr Hoshi (Satoshi Tsumabuki) decides to give his class a head start in life, where Man sits on the top of the food chain, and everything below is fair game when it comes to filling up the stomach. He also attempts to teach the children that in our living comes the sacrifice of other living beings just because they are expendable in the natural order of things, but that doesn't mean not acknowledging creatures like chickens, cows and pigs. Given his unorthodox methods, it was also explained why specifically a pig and not the other animals, so that may appease those who jump the gun too quickly in say this reeks of Babe.

The film reminded me of an anecdote which is from another movie (whose title eludes me now), where a teacher had asked his students to draw a chicken, and he received pictures of burgers, patties and basically animal parts like thighs, breasts and wings. It's come to a stage where our food supply chain is so modernized and processed, that children no longer recognize or need to know the source of their food. We also don't see how the animals get chopped and slaughtered behind the scenes, and I suppose many more would turn vegetarian should we witness how it comes through the assembly line.

In any case, this story on the surface is about the raising of a piglet by the teacher and his students from the 6th grade, where their objective from the start is to nourish it, and then to eat it. Directed by Tetsu Maeda based upon the novel by Yasushi Kuroda, it comes with plenty of excitable kids who are now given their first collective pet, and take great pains in order to ensure that their teacher's plan works to a T. From working together to build a play pen for the pig, to the diligent gathering of leftover food as meals for their pet, they learn the value of teamwork, where everyone chips in a little for the good of everyone else.

Then comes the more interesting portions of the film, in between the usual bonding scenes with the pig through fun and games. We have at least two extended debating scenes where Mr Hoshi moderates discussions amongst his charges, separated into those who still insist their project should end with the consuming of P-Chan (christening any pet is a bad idea for those with intent of abandonment and the likes), or to allow a change in letting it continue living in the school grounds as a pet. It is here that the viewpoints get accentuated through the different personalities in the classroom, where everyone is given fair opportunity to make their point heard.

It's like observing a political debate in progress, where both sides are equally passionate about their viewpoints, and sometimes allowed emotions to run high, which allowed for some play-acting by the children that I couldn't fathom whether it was all staged, but coming from within for real. And that wouldn't be difficult too, given that they had indeed spent some real time with the pig in order to draw upon some real emotions as to whether they wanted it to live, or to end up on their dinner plates. And as they inched toward graduation, their decision, which is still much split, becomes more dire with an impending sense of urgency to resolve.

The piglet might be the gimmick in School Days with a Pig, but the real stars of the show are the children in their natural ability to showcase their range of emotions. It's little wonder why this film won the Toyota Grand Prix Jury Award, and the Audience Award in last year's Tokyo International Film Festival!

Based on a true story, "School Days with a Pig" is a moving, realistic and educational Japanese movie requiring the audience to ponder on the cycle of life and reflect on whether humans have the right to end other animals' lives.

The most special scenes are the 5-minute and 15-minute real-time, documentary-like and thought-provoking classroom debates in which students spontaneously discuss if they should eat the pig. While shooting the two scenes, seven cameras operated at the same time. Besides, the debating scenes were not rehearsed. Only given partial scripts without lines assigned to them, students had to discuss the issue with their own arguments, which makes the movie authentic and distinguishable from other typical animal movies. The debating scenes shot in a documentary-like style also remind me of The Class, a French movie with non-scripted classroom discussions.

Apart from eleven lovely pigs, the movie stars twenty-six pleasing children whose natural acting deeply moves me to tears. Tsumabuki Satoshi, who plays an inexperienced new teacher, gives a convincing performance. He really resembles a new teacher intending to establish close relationships with his students. As an authoritative figure, he also refrains from crying in the ending.

The first thing slightly puzzling me is that, in the movie, nearly all students actively participate in the discussions. I wonder if Japanese primary school students are generally passive and unwilling to voice their thoughts. Secondly, some people may complain that the reason for the teacher's decision in the ending is unclear and he should explain the reasons to his students. In my opinion, the director intends to highlight the teachers' words. In reality, model answers to moral questions are not always available and it is hard to view an issue in black and white. Indeed, both option A and B have their own pros and cons and therefore he probably plays safe and opts for a less risky solution.

On the whole, the movie reminds teachers that students should be encouraged to acquire and apply knowledge through real life experiences. They should also be exposed to different controversial issues and learn to express their own thoughts and feelings. I highly recommend this authentic and touching movie to teachers, parents and students.

I see Mizuki, (Hana) ex-Skarf girl's group Korea and now Mizuki Join a Korean girl's group again "Secret Number" With a stage name "Lèa"