Kappa, jokilapsi (2021)

• 71%
• 2021
• Documentary
• Suvi Jaakkola

There is a lot of talk about the similarities and mutual relations between Finland and Japan. In recent years, there has been, among other things, a common interest in sauna and silence in this debate. However, there are also much more far-reaching connections between our cultures. A similar figure can be found in the folk traditions of both countries; a fairy tale creature lurking in the water, called Näkki by the Finns and Kappa by the Japanese. The characters have so much in common that they can be called each other's counterparts. This anthropological documentary film, Kappa, a River Child, introduces the distant cousin of Näkki; the river child Kappa. What kind of creature is Kappa? What are its relations with people? Where did the stories about Kappa come from? What can Kappa tell about Japanese society and culture? The documentary, shot in Japan, seeks answers to the above questions and visits places that are said to have a special connection to Kappa.