Ikusaba nu tudumi

We Shall Overcome chronicles the demonstrations opposing the construction of a new army base in Okinawa in 2014 with empathic and supportive eyes and becomes the very example of a traditional activist documentary. Instead of keeping a distance and making an observational record, it actively engages in adding vitality and diversity by showing the individual stories of Okinawa people and the history of their anti-war protests. In particular it presents the power of grassroots citizen movements by presenting the senior citizen Humiko with witty humor, trying to live her life as her heart wants. Similarly there is anti-war activist Juri, following her father footsteps who led a 1989 protest against the US army base construction to victory, and Takekiyo and his family who heralded the same struggle in 1997. They have memories of victory and that is an asset to them. The anti-war movement associated with environment issues, the citizens' conflicts and the community's fall, participation from various generations, and the senior citizen activists—these all remind us of the protest against the naval base project in Gangjeong village on Jeju Island, and the senior citizens' struggling in Miryang. We need a victory too. (Busan International Film Festival)