is a 1983 Japanese film by director Shōhei Imamura. It stars Sumiko Sakamoto as Orin, Ken Ogata, and Shoichi Ozawa. It is an adaptation of the book Narayama bushikō by Shichirō Fukazawa and slightly inspired by the 1958 film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. Both films explore the legendary practice of ubasute, in which elderly people were carried to a mountain and abandoned to die. Imamura's film won the Palme d'Or at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. Production The Ballad of Narayama was filmed in Niigata Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture. Plot The film is set in a small rural village in Japan in the 19th century. According to tradition, once a person reaches the age of 70 he or she must travel to a remote mountain to die of starvation, a practice known as ubasute. The story concerns Orin, who is 69 and of sound health, but notes that a neighbor had to drag his father to the mountain, so she resolves to avoid clinging to life beyond her term. She spends a year arranging all the affairs of her family and village: she severely punishes a family who are hoarding food, and helps her younger son lose his virginity. The film has some harsh scenes that show how brutal the conditions could be for the villagers. Interspersed between episodes in the film are brief vignettes of nature – birds, snakes, and other animals hunting, watching, singing, copulating or giving birth. Cast Ken Ogata – Tatsuhei Sumiko Sakamoto – Orin Tonpei Hidari – Risuke Aki Takejo – Tamayan Shoichi Ozawa – Katsuzō Fujio Tokita – Jinsaku Sanshō Shinsui – Zeniya no Matayan Seiji Kurasaki – Kesakichi Junko Takada – Matsuyan Mitsuko Baisho – Oei Taiji Tonoyama – Teruyan Casey Takamine – Arayashiki Nenji Kobayashi – Tsune Nijiko Kiyokawa – Okane Akio Yokoyama – Amaya Box office Upon its Japanese release in 1983, the film earned in distributor rentals and in gross receipts, equivalent to ticket sales. Overseas, the film sold tickets in the Soviet Union, 844,077 tickets in France upon release in 1983, and 1,696 tickets in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain between 1996 and 2018, for a combined estimated total of approximately tickets sold worldwide. Awards Cannes Film Festival (1983) Palme d'Or Japan Academy Film Prize (1984) Best Actor Ken Ogata Best Film Best Sound Kenichi Benitani Blue Ribbon Awards (1984) Best Actor Ken Ogata Excellence in Cinematography Award (1984):