Ten years ago, the Kogures moved from Tokyo to a satoyama area (an area where traditional sustainable agriculture has been long practiced) in a snowy mountain village in Echigo-Tsumari where they repaired an old thatched farmhouse and began growing organic, pesticide-free rice. Their life may appear unrestrained and free of worldly cares but they cannot make it alone. All the work is done together with their cheerful neighbors. Then, in the spring of 2011, an earthquake strikes on the border of Nagano and Niigata prefectures. The Kogures’ house is destroyed, but they decide to rebuild. An adventure told in a fantastical tone that expresses the joy of living with a sometimes harsh natural world. The director, Shigeru Kobayashi, started out as a documentary cameraman. He did the camera for Makoto Sato's internationally acclaimed documentary, Living on the River Agano, which depicts the rural lives of the elderly locals and their connection with nature. Yoshihiko Yatabe, the Tokyo International Film Festival programming director, is one of the producers.