REEL SOUTH

Members of Bluegrass 45 are reunited with the iconic tour van from their US tour in the 1970’s, now hiding a scrap yard in West Virginia.

Bluegrass 45, one of Japan’s first bluegrass bands, brings its unique sound to the American South. Through intimate cinematography and interviews, this film explores the band’s journey—from daily life in Japan to performances in the U.S.—showcasing the powerful cultural connections forged through music and shared experiences.

Tsuyoshi “Josh” Otsuka, member of Bluegrass 45, jams with Kobe University’s Bluegrass club.

In her life in New York, Sue was wracked with constant headaches, burns, tingling, numbness, and other mystery symptoms. She soon determined the cause of these symptoms: electrohypersensitivity. After reading an article about Green Bank, West Virginia, a radio quiet zone where others with her condition have found solace, she and her husband make sacrifices to move there.

College student Ellie White visits an elementary school to lead young students in an astronomy project.

Sue and her husband are reunited as he moves out of their home in New York to live with her in Green Bank permanently. They explore the land they bought and describe their plans to build a new home.

Sue and her husband reunite after a period of time apart and reflect on how the distance has been challenging. They attend a dinner with a group of friends also suffering from electrohypersensitivity.

Green Bank, West Virginia, is home to the world’s most sensitive radio telescope—and the only U.S. town where Wi-Fi and cell phones are banned. Here, scientists search for signs of extraterrestrial life while residents navigate pivotal moments in their own lives. This film explores the community’s deep connection to the universe and each other.

When the National Science Foundation proposes a funding cut to the Green Bank Observatory, residents of a small West Virginia town passionately defend the project at a town hall meeting.

Sue reflects on how her quality of life has improved in Green Bank and discusses buying a piece of land for her and her husband.

Keiji, a bamboo farmer, explains the unique aspects of the plant that brings him peace and spirituality.

Filmmaker Maaliyah Papillion is tapped to learn the ways of her elders and carry on their sacred traditions as the next chief of the Atakapa-Išhak Nation, making her the second woman to lead the tribe since 1771.