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Paper short abstract

This presentation analyzes Ainu Mosir (2020) through Lewallen’s notion of “Ainu becoming,” which conceives Ainu identity as an intentional, fluid process. The film demonstrates this framework by depicting how youth negotiate heritage and modernity, enacting indigeneity through lived practice.

Paper long abstract

This presentation examines Fukunaga’s film Ainu Mosir (2020) through the theoretical lens of Ann-Elise Lewallen’s concept of “Ainu becoming,” as articulated in The Fabric of Indigeneity (2016). Lewallen challenges the notion of an authentic, fixed Ainu identity, arguing instead that Ainu indigeneity is a dynamic process of intentional, ongoing making, a lived and negotiated practice shaped by descendants who continually craft what it means to be Ainu in contemporary Japan. Ainu Mosir offers a compelling exploration of this process, portraying indigeneity not as a static inheritance but as an evolving relationship between past, present, and future, made of conscious choices that come with challenges and tensions. Central to the film is Kanto, a teenager navigating the complexities of growing up as an Ainu in Hokkaido while simultaneously moving through Japanese mainstream society. His desire to fit in with his peers sits uneasily alongside the expectations of his community, who encourage him to embrace cultural practices and rituals. This tension does not function as a crisis of authenticity but instead dramatizes the very process Lewallen describes: the struggle of intentional becoming. Through Kanto’s conflicts, hesitations, and moments of connection, the film illustrates that indigeneity emerges through choice, practice, and embodied experience rather than through blood quantum, or strict adherence to inherited tradition. The narrative arc ultimately demonstrates that participating in multiple cultural worlds does not diminish Ainu identity; rather, it reflects the adaptive, relational nature of Ainu becoming. The film foregrounds how contemporary Ainu youth negotiate belonging in ways that challenge essentialist expectations – both external (from the Japanese state and society) and internal (from community pressures and ideals of proper Ainu-ness). By focusing on a young protagonist’s everyday struggles and desires, Ainu Mosir visualizes indigeneity as an unfolding process, continually shaped by those who live it. Through this analysis, the presentation positions Ainu Mosir as a crucial cinematic text that contributes to broader conversations in Indigenous studies, film studies, and anthropology. The film expands our understanding of Ainu identity not as a relic of the past, but as an active, intentional process of becoming – open, plural, and deeply human.