Cats and Dogs 2 - Exclusive

【老人與狗】

感人網路短片【老人與狗】如果沒有遇到鍾先先她只是路邊的乾屍

POWDER: Suffering ...

Thomasina 1964

A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

January 26, 2008 · 12 Comments

Mari to Koinu no Monogatari

This 2007 Japanese movie is based on the story of a real family that was caught in the 2004 Niigata earthquake. The basic plot involves a family consisting of a father, grandfather, and a son and daughter; the mother died some years before. They live in a rural town. On their way home one day, the kids stumble upon an abandoned shiba inu puppy, and the little girl falls in love with her. At first, they avoid taking care of her and keep her far from home because their father is afraid of dogs.

Eventually, things work out and the dog is accepted into their home. Some time later, the pup, Mari, has grown into an adult and has three puppies of her own.

The the quake hits; the son is safe at school, the father survives the quake in town, but the daughter and grandfather are trapped under their collapsed home. Mari eventually runs off and finds some Jietai (Self-Defense Force, or Japanese military) rescue workers, who rescue the girl and her grandfather, but the dogs have to stay behind in the abandoned village.

Mari and Her Puppies

Three puppies were born on the day of an earthquake.

On the fateful morning of October 23, 2004, a dog named Mari gave birth to three puppies in Yamakoshi Village, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

That evening, a severe earthquake struck Niigata and devastated the village, causing almost all of its homes to collapse, including the one where Mari lived.

During the quake the newborn puppies were jolted away from their mother, and since their eyes were still closed, they could not find their way back to her side. Also, because she was bound by a leash, Mari could not reach her babies. She tried repeatedly to pull free from the leash, but to no avail. Then, several tremors occurred and Mari tried even harder to break free until her neck began to bleed. Suddenly, another strong aftershock struck, Mari struggled with all her might, and the collar suddenly came loose. Next she quickly picked up her puppies, moved them to a safe place, and without taking a rest ran toward the ruins that were once her house.

Three qualities define a true shiba inu: Kan’i, Ryosei and Soboku.

Kan’i is translated as “spirited boldness” and means “well-balanced, courageous and self-confident”.

Ryosei (“good nature”) refers to the loyal and obedient character of the shiba and to her strong senses which make her an ideal home guardian.

Soboku refers to the natural beauty of the soul, meaning that a shiba is unaffected,cheerful and spontaneous.

Courageous rescue of the grandfather

The grandfather of Mari’s family was home alone that day.

He lived on the second floor, but suffered from a neurological disorder that made it impossible for him to stand on his feet or climb the stairs unassisted.

After the earthquake, the old man was immobilized as he had been trapped beneath a wardrobe. Aftershocks and the total darkness resulting from a power outage pushed him into desperately thinking that death might be around the corner.

Just then, Mari appeared in his room on the second floor and looked at him with encouraging eyes. The grandfather had been slipping into unconsciousness, but when he saw Mari he regained awareness although he was still immobilized. Mari then licked him to give him encouragement and went downstairs several times to check on her pups before quickly returning to the man’s room. She ran back and forth many times even though her paws had been injured by the sharp-edged glass and pieces of porcelain that lay all over the floor. Each trip gave her new wounds, but Mari managed to kindle new hope in the grandfather’s heart, and looking at Mari he thought “I must live on. I cannot give up.”

Finally, he pushed at the wardrobe with all his strength, it gave way and he managed to free himself. Then with Mari’s encouragement, the grandfather spent two hours climbing down the stairs – a feat he had previously been unable to accomplish without help. Upon reaching the ground floor, he was happy to find that the three puppies were safe and sound.

A sad parting and further ordeals

After the October 23, 2004 earthquake Yamakoshi Village was in a state of total destruction and isolation as all local roads had been cut off. And with a continuous series of aftershocks increasing the danger of landslides, on October 25 all the villagers were evacuated by helicopter to a nearby accommodation center.

Under these circumstances, the grandfather was forced to leave Mari behind, for in times of disaster saving human lives is the main concern. He left all of his pet food for his beloved dog, prayed that she and her pups would be safe and took off her collar. Then, with no other options, as he boarded the helicopter to leave behind the one who had saved his life, he said with guilt and sadness, “I’m very sorry, Mari,” and felt heart-broken as Mari howled in deep sorrow.

As time passed and her supply of rations ran out, Mari had to search for food in her abandoned village, suffering many ordeals as she tried to protect her little puppies. All the while the grandfather thought of her constantly, and with anxiety over the continuing tremors fell ill and had to be hospitalized.

Then two weeks after the evacuation, the villagers were allowed to return to Yamakoshi to see their homes. Among the returnees was the man’s son, who immediately began to search for Mari. Upon finding her, he noticed that she was much thinner, and she hesitated for an instant after hearing her name but then dashed toward him. He held her close in his arms for a long time.

Mari had not had enough food for herself, but she fed her babies milk and took care of them as well as she could. In contrast to their skinny mother, the three puppies looked chubby and healthy as they slept sweetly on the porch. The son was delighted to see the little pups growing up in good health.

Before Yamakoshi Village was reconstructed, the villagers remained in temporary housing in a neighboring city. Being in charge of advertising affairs for the village committee, the son was a busy man so he placed Mari and her puppies in the care of another family. When the grandfather was still in the hospital, Mari’s caretaker took her to visit him.Thus, after undergoing countless trials, Mari and the old man were finally reunited. Mari was very happy to see the man, who was recuperating and said with quivering lips and tears filling his eyes, “Thank you for saving my life.”

Then in April 2005 the grandfather was discharged from the hospital and began living with his son and Mari in an apartment. By that time Mari’s three puppies had been adopted by other families and were growing up healthily in their new homes. Today, the grandfather and his family are still living in the apartment but look forward to returning soon to Yamakoshi Village.

Fireworks for Mari

Mari’s touching story, which illustrates the mutual trust and love between humans and animals that helps them through ordeals, has frequently been reported in the news media and has also been adapted as an illustrated storybook – Mari of Yamakoshi Village and Her Three Pups. The book has received a huge response in Japan and serves as a great inspiration for disaster victims. The company that published the volume is contributing part of its sales revenues to the reconstruction and relief funds for areas affected by the October 2004 earthquake, and distributes the book free of charge to children in Yamakoshi Village and its thirteen neighboring cities.

On August 2, 2005, the villagers held a fireworks celebration in their city of refuge just as they do in their home town each year, and this year event was entitled “Fireworks for Mari.” While participating in the festivity they wished that Yamakoshi Village could be recovered as quickly as possible. Amid the dazzling light and smoke of the fireworks, Mari’s radiant smile seemed to fill the night sky, bringing hope and encouragement to the spectators.

Kleenex alert!

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/160/an1.htm

Powder - Suffering

Milo and Otis part 1

That Darn Cat! Part 1!

Don't Mess with Hell-Boy!

Cala, My Dog!

Cala, My Dog!

Dec 3, '05 12:35 PM by miow-miow3 for everyone

Celestial Movies (Ch 61)

A lower-middle class man goes to great lengths to reclaim his pet dog, an act that's symbolic of his need to love and to take care of a companion. An outstanding movie starring Mainland Chinese actor Ge You. Director : Lu Xue Chang Cast : Ge You; Ding Jia Li; Xia Yu 卡拉是条狗 影片虽描述人寻狗的故事，实际上是描写"人"的内心，由中国著名制作人冯小刚监制联同中国首席导演路学长诚意制作，中国影帝葛优精彩演出一中下阶层的工人，将其自我探索的过程刻划得淋漓尽致。 导演 : 路学长

It is 1995 and China has instituted a 'One Dog Per Family' policy that is strictly enforced. Dog owners without special pet permits are subject to having their furry friends seized from them - the fate of their animals being death if the owner cannot come up with payment. Needless to say, the price of the permit is so high that the average family would not be able to afford it. Not surprisingly, many families hide their dogs from authorities and walk them late at night. When the police raid a local midnight dog spot, one family loses their dog and is forced to find a creative way to get it back within 18 hours, or else...

Director: Lu Xuechang
Cast: Ge You, Ding Jiali, Xia Lu, Li Bin, Li Min

1DVD in Mandarin

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Cala, My Dog
(Kala shi tiao gou)
(China, 2003)

Lu Xuechang, "Cala, My Dog" (2003)

"Cala, My Dog!" is a philosophical tale reflecting the extraordinary struggle of an ordinary worker to reclaim his pet, his family....and himself, often in conflict with the police. In "Cala, My Dog!", Ge You has come out of his usual role in comedy movies and played an anxious low-income worker in search of his dignity and manhood.

Produced by the award-winning producer and China's No. 1 box office director Feng Xiaogang ("Big Shot's Funeral", "Be There Or Be Square", "Sigh"), the film is directed by the promising young film talent, Lu XueChang ("The Making of Steel", "A Lingering Face"). The cast includes internationally acclaimed award-winning actor, Ge You. As the Best Actor of the 47th Cannes Film Festival, and three-time winner of China's One Hundred Flowers Best Actor Award, Ge You has worked with the mainland's most respected filmmakers in numerous acclaimed features that have been widely embraced by audiences worldwide, including "To Live", "Be There or Be Square"(1999), and "Big Shot's Funeral" (2001). The other known actors include Ding JiaLi and Li Bin, who won the Best New Talent Award at the 51st Berlin Film Festival.

Dolphin watch

TODAY


Dolphin watch
05:55 AM Sep 04, 2009
Letter from Salina Ibrahim

I WOULD like to thank Golden Village for bringing the eco-movie The Cove to cinemas here.

It is disappointing that there has not been as much awareness of it as there should be. There needs to be more exposure of the issues raised because many of us are unaware of the slaughter that is taking place. We need to be shocked into awareness.

Singapore is indirectly guilty of contributing to the entertainment market that demands the capture of dolphins in the first place.

The Dolphin Lagoon in Sentosa and the proposed oceanarium at the integrated resort will only add to the bloody hands of fishing towns such as Taiji in Japan.

More than half of all captured dolphins die within two years in captivity, compared to their natural life expectancy of about 40 years.

When that happens, another "fish" order is issued and the vicious cycle is repeated. So begins yet another massacre of more than 20,000 dolphins in Taiji.

There are those who might ask: "So what? There are many dolphins in the sea."

The fact is we are causing an acute and unnatural depletion of these beautiful creatures.

Marine life generally does not have the privilege of a governing body or organisation to look after it, unlike their land-dwelling counterparts, but it is connected with and affects the sea - the largest and most influential ecosystem around.

I would urge more people to watch the movie, which runs for only 92 minutes. It's about being socially responsible. The next step is to educate others to do their part, no matter how small, in objecting to such activities.

Quill ~ Guide Dog

Hachiko monogatari - Bittersweet (Akita dog)

From the 1987 film Hachiko monogatari (aka Hachi-ko). Wonderful movie that tells the true story of an Akita's devotion to his master. Unfortunately Hollywood is currently working on a remake scheduled for release sometime in 2009.

Song is Bittersweet, by Within Temptation.

Thanks for watching!

Honors!
Dec 29, 2007:
#35 - Top Favorites (Today) - Pets & Animals
#94 - Top Rated (Today) - Pets & Animals
Dec 30, 2007:
#28 - Top Favorites (Today) - Pets & Animals
#93 - Top Rated (Today) - Pets & Animals

I do not own the rights to Hachiko monogatari or to this song. This is a purely fan-made video, not for profit and with no rights implied.

About Hachikō on Wikimedia:
In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesamuroh Ueno (上野英三郎), a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner's life, Hachikō saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Even after Ueno's death in May 1925, Hachikō returned every day to the station to wait for him, and did so for the next 10 years.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D





http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_cc00XMTMxMzU1NDQ=.html

Milo and Otis part 1

我的咕咕貓/咕咕是隻貓 主題曲 BY 小泉今日子

Good movie to watch on HBO Signature - "Year of the Dog"

http://www.yearofthedogmovie.com/

In a Lonely Place, Saved by Puppies

Suzanne Tenner/Paramount Vantage

Molly Shannon stars in "Year of the Dog," Mike White’s film about empathy and grace.

In its broad outline, “Year of the Dog” is the story of a woman who goes slightly bonkers and becomes an animal-rights advocate, not because she’s bonkers, but because the love of animals is where she finally finds her peace of mind, sense of self, grace. It’s also about the creation of conscience, about what makes us human and why, a surprisingly little-told story in contemporary American cinema.

My Dog Skip

The last scene from the movie "My Dog Skip".


"I recieved a trans-atlantic call one day. "Skip died", Daddy said. He and my mama wrapped him in my baseball jacket. They buried him out under the elm tree, they said. That wasn't totally true. For he really lay buried in my heart."

Homeward Bound

Sent: 17/07/2003 21:33

Neko no Ongaeshi (The Cat Returns)

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/neko/synopsis/page1.html

The story opens with an alarm bell ringing and a hand reaching out to turn it off. Under the blanket, Haru moved into a more comfortable position; then realized that she was late for school, and quickly rushed to get ready, albeit without first doing a vanity check. She greeted her mother in the kitchen who told her to eat first. When Haru refused, she playfully tempted Haru by biting into her own topped-up bread and saying how delicious it was, while Haru looked on in a very jittery manner. Finally she said that it wasn't fair and ran off.

That Darn Cat 1965 Disney Trailer