Friday, December 04, 2009
Brief Thoughts on Three World Premieres at TOKYO FILMeX
Now that the 10th edition of TOKYO FILMeX has wrapped (see my closing story on Screen) and several post-fest parties were enjoyed, I thought I'd get down some very brief thoughts on the three Japanese films that had world premieres.
I'll start with what I tweeted about each one and expand a little from there. Mild spoilers.
First up was Ômori Tatsushi's A Crowd of Three (Kenta to Jun to Kayo-chan no Kuni, 『ケンタとジュンとカヨちゃんの国』).
Tweet: Omori Tatsushi's A Crowd of Three a road trip into the dark heart of today's lost youth
Tweet 2: Omori's Whispering...was trangressive - A Crowd of Three was neither art nor mainstream. Hard sell. I liked perfs, incl. Matsuda.
An overlong, glacially-paced nihilistic road movie stuck at a fork in the road. Is it an art film with genre trappings or a mainstream drama with indie stylings? Neither, really, though from talking to a few Japanese audience members its depiction of dead end delinquents seemed to strike a chord. Solid performances by indie stalwarts Andô Sakura and Kôra Kengo. Idol Matsuda Shôta does his best in what could probably be considered the lead role. I haven't seen Ikigami and don't watch terebi dorama (especially not the likes of Hanadan) so I had little to go on other than what he delivered, most of which was good. He has an interesting face. Everyone in the film does, actually.
A Crowd of Three starts off well, setting a tone as Kôra and Matsuda pointlessly jackhammer away at cement walls at their dead-end construction jobs. They decide to take off for Hokkaidô, where Matsuda's pedophile brother is imprisoned at Abashiri, eventually heading right off land's end. Despite the rage, sadness and fleeting moments of happiness along the way (a bus ride with a group of mentally challenged people is a highlight) the proceedings feel as flat as a pancake. The film does give off some sparks when Andô and Ômori Tatsushi regular Arai Hirofumi are on screen.
After Ômori's uncompromising Whispering of the Gods I was expecting much more.
Second was Toyoda Toshiaki's comeback film The Blood of Rebirth (Yomigaeri no Chi, 『蘇りの血』).
Tweet: Toyoda's Yomigaeri no Chi visually and aurally beguiling but felt only like the first act of his rebirth as a director.
Mark Schilling's Japan Times review, which also puts The Blood of Rebirth in the context of Toyoda's career, just went up here. It details the film's synthesis of music and imagery well but relates little about the plot or story -- that's because there isn't much there. But that's OK. Even on a shoestring Toyoda is a supreme stylist.
At a brisk 83 minutes with very little dialogue (only about 400 subtitles according to translator Gotô Tarô, with one reel sans any) Toyoda's The Blood of Rebirth is more fecund than most directors can manage at their randiest. The final scene really twisted my melon, man.
Toyoda stretched his legs nicely with this film, the most well-realized of the three. Looking forward to where he wanders next. Best seen on the big screen.
Thirdly was competition title Doman Seman (Horikawa Nakatachiuri,『堀川中立売』), directed by Late Bloomer's Shibata Gô.
Tweet: Doman Seman (Horikawa Nakatachiuri) a sprawling socio-slapstick redemptive urban fantasy. In all that footage lies a great movie. I think...
I generally don't harp on what a film should've been but in this case I will because of the obvious creativity Shibata and his band of collaborators possess.
The background info I posted in in November in combination with the promotional imagery/teaser led me to believe Doman Seman would be a much more somber, enigmatic affair. In fact, it's a humorous, hyperactive hoot surfing on dark undercurrents. As we follow the film's two goofball heroes through various machinations, the film touches on J-issues such as the vicious cycle of money-lending, fatal juvenile crime, corporate cults, internet privacy and the growing homeless population.
Doman Seman could've been this year's Love Exposure (one of the characters is even dressed like Sono Sion in one scene). If only the pieces of this very unique jigsaw puzzle were connected more carefully instead of glued together in haste. As Nippon Connection's Alex Zahlten said, the film does have an internal logic to it but like listening to an astrophysicist lecture on black holes you feel "Wow!...Erm, what?"
I really dug Doman Seman's eye-popping colours and the clarity of the HD images. However, the sound mix seemed off with dialogue lost under layers of music and sound. Like Toyoda, Shibata is a music maestro who gets a lot of mileage out of the bands he's closely associated with.
I can appreciate that the Doman team was cutting the film's 130 minutes right up until the screening -- I hear it will go through further editing ahead of its 2010 release. Best of luck to them.
More than the other two titles, I'm interested to hear other opinions on this film.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Nerima Animation Carnival
Following up on my May 25 entry detailing Nerima's place in Japanese animation history, I thought I'd make brief mention of the upcoming Nerima Animation Carnival, which runs from November 21 - 23 in Toshimaen (Toshimaen stn. on the Ôedo and Seibu Ikebukuro lines).
For the low low price of 200 yen you can see vintage episodes from the Toei animation archives, the first ever episode of Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy), live anisong performances and workshops for kiddies. There will also be award-winning selections from France's world-famous Annecy International Animated Film Festival, which celebrates its 50th year in 2010. Titles include The Pearce Sisters and Katô Kunio's Oscar-winning La Maison en Petits Cubes (Tsumiki No Ie, 『つみきのいえ』).
With the 10th anniversary of TOKYO FILMeX overlapping from November 21 to 29 I probably won't have time to make it to the event, but as it's only a short distance from my crib I might give it a try. When I see the Galaxy Express 999-decked out Seibu train go by I know I'm home.
On a tangent -- if you happen to be in Singapore on the 21st and 22nd you can hit the Anime Festival Asia (AFA09) and immerse yourself in cosplay, otaku rooms and live performances.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Postcard from Doman Seman (Horikawa Nakatachiuri)
Tonight was the Tokyo uchiage for this year's Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, held at a happening little hole in the wall -- literally a retrofitted garage -- called Space Neo (aka neoneoza). It's a cinéaste's hangout which screens video, 8mm and 16mm films.
A friend with a close association to Shibata Gô (柴田剛監督) passed along the below limited edition postcard promoting Shibata's latest film Doman Seman (Horikawa Nakatachiuri) 『堀川中立売』 (Twitter here, Japanese only) which will have its world premiere in competition at the 10th edition of TOKYO FILMeX later this month.
Below the image is the text from the soon-to-be-published FILMeX catalogue.
These days I rarely go into movies with any kind of expectations, but this is one work I'm really looking forward to. Don't miss it!
Doman Seman / Horikawa Nakatachiuri
Freeloading Shinsuke and a strange homeless man named Tsutomu are brought together by neighbourhood weirdo Abe. According to Abe, both Shinsuke and Tsutomu are "shikigami" (summoned spirits), called upon to fight rampaging supernatural beings in the streets of Kyoto... Director SHIBATA Go once again collaborates with Shima Films, who produced TOKYO FILMeX 2004 competition title "Late Bloomer." "Doman Seman / Horikawa Nakatachiuri" transplants elements of Heian-era (8th to 12th century) occult cosmology to modern-day Kyoto in this fantastical film. While commenting on current social ills such as Japan's growing economic disparity and teenage crime, the film effortlessly breaks through the barriers between fantasy and reality, creating a uniquely chaotic world that unfolds through the story. Led by ISHII Motako, vocalist of Osaka rock band Oshiri Penpenz, the cast is populated by musicians and actors active in the Kansai region. The "Horikawa Nakatachiuri" of the title refers to an area of Kyoto where the shrine deifying 10th century onmyoji (practitioner of magic and divination) ABE no Seimei as well as legend-filled bridge Ichijomodori-bashi can be found, both of which appear in the film.
Message
I was drawn to the place name "Horikawa Nakatachiuri." Last summer I arrived there from Asakusa and walked around, noticing a lot of star patterns – on buildings, cars, and doorplates. Seimei Shrine was nearby and not far from that Ichijomodori-bashi. At first I wasn't sure how to read the kanji for the name of the "Horikawa Nakatachiuri" crossing. While I tried to read it different ways, links with the surrounding star patterns formed in my mind. I put those thoughts into the protagonist and then the image of the whole film came to me as a story of people intersecting. For me, cinema is the best way to look at the world with a wider perspective.
Friday, October 30, 2009
October Article Roundup
As done previously, here is a collection of some of my recent articles of note. Not everyone is on Twitter where I regularly post such links. I find it's also easy to miss things as they fly by on there.
"Japan at AFM"
Getting more difficult to stick to titles that are market premieres as a lot of stuff is already at TIFFCOM and Pusan's AFM. Other companies hold back and announce at the Santa Monica event. No envy for journos who have to rove one average hotel for days on end or the sales agents practically under house arrest there.
"Hachiko shows its pedigree"
A short case study on the US remake of Shochiku's Hachiko Monogatari, which did quite well here (considering the current box office climate) and has yet to be released in the US.
"Kamen Kalev's Eastern Plays takes top prize in Tokyo"
Short summary of the awards handed out at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival. As I was busy with Tokyo Project Gathering I only ended up seeing a few films. Glad I saw The Cove!
"Japan, caution"
In-depth feature on the woes facing small-medium distributors in Japan, and the foreign sellers realizing the territory is not what it used to be. Also worth checking out my editor Liz Shackleton's accompanying comment piece "Japanese Lessons".
"Tokyo International Film Festival opens with exclusive visit to world of Cameron's 'Avatar'"
My first piece for the new CNNGo site. Check out the Tokyo page and other cities across Asia.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tokyo Project Gathering - "Family Matters"
It's been a very interesting week. Over the years I've covered the Tokyo International Film Festival and TIFFCOM market as a journalist but this week I was a participant in the Tokyo Project Gathering project market with writer-director Max Mannix's new Japan-set screenplay, tentatively titled Family Matters (Kazoku no Jijô, 『家族の事情』). It was a very valuable opportunity to meet production companies, producers, film commissions, sales agents, casting agents and even musicians. We didn't win the TPG award -- that went to talented Asyl: Park and Love Hotel director Kumasaka Izuru for his new project Secrets on the Table -- but we did have the most meetings of the event!
Special thanks to Hasegawa-san, Sakurai-san, Yoko-san and everyone else who made sure everything ran so smoothly. There's a lot more work to do to make Family Matters become a reality but we believe it has great potential and that the screenplay is even better than Max's work on Tokyo Sonata was.
This is the poster mock-up that appeared in the TPG catalogue, put together on a moment's notice by ultra-talented NYC-based photographer Matt Hoyle. Credits not contractual.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Kitano, Kurosawa and Kore-eda Hit TOKYO FILMeX
The "What's New" page on the official website of TOKYO FILMeX (November 17-25) has just been updated to announce details of a special symposium that will take place at this year's 10th anniversary of the festival.
Entitled "For the Bright Future of Cinema" after the festival's motto, luminaries of the Japanese film world will speak at Meiji University's Surugadai campus (between Ochanomizu and Jinbôchô stations) on November 21st from 1:00~6:00pm.
The day starts with Kitano Takeshi giving a one-hour "Master Class," moderated by respected film critic Yamane Sadao. This will be followed by "Session 1," with directors Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Kore-eda Hirokazu speaking. "Session 2" will then see them joined by popular actors Nishijima Hidetoshi and Terajima Susumu.
Advance tickets are ¥3,300('S' seats) and ¥2,800('A' seats). Tickets at the door are ¥3,500('S' seats) and ¥3,000('A' seats). Tickets go on sale through Pia from November 3-19.
Here's the kicker. Regular folks will be able to submit questions for Kitano through the TOKYO FILMeX website in the very near future. Not sure if English-language questions will be accepted (check for an update here soon) but to be safe, if you have a burning question for the man you might want to get it translated into Japanese.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Naked Ambition of Kore-eda's Air Doll
As time goes by I read less and less film reviews. I do take a look at what our well-informed and balanced writers at Screen are saying if it's a movie I'm interested in. I'll also make an effort to check out opinions on films that are dividing audiences (Gaspar Noe's brilliant Enter the Void, for example). Some of the people whose opinions on cinema I respect are not blogging. They talk and I listen.
Last night I finally saw Kore-eda Hirokazu's Air Doll (Kûki Ningyô, 『空気人形』) at my local cinema. You review hounds have been reading all about it since Cannes. I didn't get a chance to see it at the Toronto fest but it opened domestically on the weekend I got back. In this era of struggling indies I was glad to see it playing to a pretty full house two weeks into its release.
So, with images from the film fresh in my mind I dialed up around ten opinions put out there by trades/newspapers/blogs I like. Most were in agreement on Bae Doo-na's touching and otherworldly performance, the gorgeous images conjured up by cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bin (who's currently shooting Tran Ahn Hung's adaptation of Norwegian Wood), the dreamy soundtrack by World's End Girlfriend and of course Kore-eda's skillful direction. Feelings about the film's pretensions and length seem to vary from niggling to negative.
But what prompted me to write a blog entry was that other than Derek Elley's take in Variety nobody mentioned the nudity. I didn't know going in that I'd be able to enjoy that much of Bae's body that frequently throughout the film's 126m running time. Kore-eda obviously loved shooting it -- who can blame him? Having spent an hour or two of green room time with Bae and the other Linda Linda Lindas years ago I don't recall feeling any particular frisson upon meeting her -- I thought she was quite boyish. But on screen? Prepare to be walloped.
Maybe pro-am critics took it for granted that an actress playing a dutch wife who springs to life would have to at least show some skin. After all, Kore-eda's impetus for making the film was the eroticism of that deflate/inflate scene in the manga (which I admit I haven't read). Kore-eda told Korean director Bong Joon-ho his idea and Bong recommended two-time collaborator Bae. The stilted nihongo aspect of doll "Nozomi"'s awakening made the role an even better fit. Had Japanese actresses even been in contention for the lead role?
You do know that another unsaid reason is that aside from a couple of exceptions (Terashima Shinobu being one), well-known Japanese actresses will not take off their clothes for movies in this day and age. They just will not do it. I've heard complaints from a couple of film producers (no, not only male). It sounds laughable but there are so many projects that producers forgo simply because nobody with established name value will get their kit off. Never mind erotic thrillers and the like, think of how many literary adaptations, Japanese and foreign, have to be watered down/covered up or shelved for good because of this. I mean, how can you make a movie about the Yoshiwara pleasure district (coughSakurancough) and barely show what men went there to buy?
[SPOILER] Aside from the flesh on display in Air Doll I was also surprised by Arata's ero-guroesque demise. I generally dig detours into darker domains like that but I'm not sure if it was the right choice for this film. I don't think his kind character deserved what he got. The redemption of the hikikomoriette who's eating and drinking herself to death and the geek who masturbates to upskirt videos of his own desktop doll (you have to see it) had me groaning slightly, but every look of Bae's expressive eyes erased any complaints I had.[/SPOILER]
I also enjoyed the Tsukishima and surrounding area location work. Years ago I searched for an apartment in that neighbourhood. If I had looked a little harder, I might've seen "Nozomi" in her window with the sun shining through her latex hand.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Japanese Films in Pusan 2009 / Lost Paradise in Tokyo
The full program of films at this year's Pusan International Film Festival (October 8-16) has been available for a while now, but the below press release from UniJapan issued today is a convenient list of all the J-cinema showing there (not including market screenings).
I really enjoyed being dispatched to Pusan last year and the year before (see my collected Pusan posts here) but cuts in the publishing world mean I'll be here in Tokyo instead of stalking the Asian Film Market, gawking at parties and walking Haeundae beach.
Echoing my recent entry about Andô Momoko's Kakera - A Piece of Our Life, another film entitled Lost Paradise in Tokyo (and here) also began life at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival as a work I and my fellow selection committee members pushed for except in this case it actually screened, going on to win the Skip City Prize (see my Screen articles here and there). It has secured a slot in Pusan's New Currents section. Congrats to director Shiraishi Kazuya.
Lost Paradise in Tokyo is just as startling a feature debut as some of the other films I've championed in the past -- This World of Ours and Now, I... among them. Eager to read reviews coming out of PIFF.
19 Japanese films invited to Pusan International Film Festival 2009
Dear Friends of Japanese films,
UNIJAPAN will attend the Asian Film Market in Pusan and look forward to meeting you.
Japanese Films in 14th Pusan International Film Festival
-Gala Presentation
Symbol by MATSUMOTO Hitoshi
-New Currents
Lost Paradise in Tokyo by SHIRAISHI Kazuya
-A Window on Asian Cinema
A White Night by KOBAYASHI Masahiro
Air Doll by KORE-EDA Hirokazu
Dear Doctor by NISHIKAWA Miwa
Itsuji Itao's King of the Escape by ITAO Itsuji
Kanikosen by SABU
Killer Bride's Perfect Crime by KISHITANI Goro
Parade by YUKISADA Isao
Tetsuo: The Bullet Man by TSUKAMOTO Shinya
Toad’s Oil by YAKUSYO Koji
Where are you? by KOBAYASHI Masahiro
-Open Cinema
A Good Husband by YUKISADA Isao
Yatterman by MIIKE Takashi
-Wide Angle
Beautiful Islands by KANA Tomoko
Path of Anna by NAOI Riyo
-Ani Asia! A Leap of Asia Feature Animation
First Squad - The Moment Of Truth by ASHINO Yoshiharu and others
Mai Mai Miracle by KATABUCHI Sunao
-Midnight Passion
Crows II by MIIKE Takashi
Japan Booth (#705)
In the Seacloud Hotel Haeundae, the main venue of the AFM, on the 7th floor,
UNIJAPAN will have a sales & promotion booth for Japanese films from 11th to 14th October.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Kitano's New Yakuza Film Before Cameras
As we've all heard, Kitano Takeshi is back behind the camera for his 15th feature film, which will see him return to the yakuza genre that made him famous (as a director). I was lucky enough to hang out on set for about an hour last weekend.
I can't expand much on my tweets (1,2,3) from last Saturday due to the very thick veil of secrecy that Kitano films are always produced under but I thought I'd write a few notes here as it seems a good number of you haven't bought into life at 140 characters.
It was a sweltering summer fall day. Near the end of a residential cul-de-sac in central Tokyo was the crew of 25-30 people and the man himself, dressed in white t-shirt, track pants and flip flops (he wasn't acting in the particular scene being shot). As lookie-loos were hurried along the crew carefully set up and rehearsed. I'd love to describe what went down but that would probably be the end of good graces from Office Kitano. I can say that the scene being shot was crime cinema through and through. I can also say it's being filmed in 35mm and, as previously reported, will be distributed by Warner Brothers. We're back to a more commercial, higher profile effort along the lines of Zatoichi.
It should be a barnstormer.
Inlet that Inspired Ponyo Location Saved from Development
Nature lovers and fans of Miyazaki Hayao's Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (or just Ponyo as it's known Stateside) will be glad to know that the Tomonoura (鞆の浦) seaside location that inspired the story's main setting has been saved from a proposed landfill and bridge development plan. A class action lawsuit filed by local residents against Hiroshima Prefecture resulted in a favorable ruling to stop the project, which would've seen much of the famed sightseeing area erased from the landscape.
A press conference was held at Studio Ghibli today with Miyazaki himself happily reporting the good news. Miyazaki first visited the inlet in 2004 on one of the company's regular vacation outings and was charmed by the Edo-like atmosphere of the local town. In 2005 he enjoyed an extended stay there, breathing life into the character of Ponyo.
See this article on All About (Japanese only) for an image of the town and more about how it inspired the master.
Monday, September 07, 2009
TOKYO FILMeX 10th Anniversary Update
This news has recently trickled out on Twitter and is available on the TOKYO FILMeX Japanese site (English here, not updated yet) and in the Japanese press releases but I thought it should be in writing somewhere so it gets around ahead of the full lineup press conference on the 17th of this month.
TOKYO FILMeX is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year (unbelievably, it's already my 8th tour of duty) and the retrospectives are quite special. As I hinted at in my July 31 entry, the foreign retrospective is on a European directing giant: Jean-Pierre Melville. Having become a great fan of Melville's works through legit videos/bootlegs and a Toronto Cinematheque retrospective in the mid 90s (by coincidence, Cinematheque's just-wrapped summer lineup included a Melville program), I'm extremely excited by this. The collection will span Melville's whole filmography including his ultra-rare short film debut.
The Japanese retrospective is on a period of filmmaking rather than a single director. In collaboration with Shochiku it will focus on the studio's fresh, modernistic films of the 1930s. Includes films by Shimazu Yasujirô and Nomura Hiromasa. The screenings will be held at the Tôgeki cinema below the Shochiku offices near Higashi-Ginza stn. All films subtitled in English, of course.
The head of the jury this year will be director Sai Yôichi, who is a longtime friend of the festival.
On a frivolous tangent, with news of Johnnie To's on-again off-again (now dead?) remake of Melville's The Red Circle I recalled a script I started and aborted before the handover of Hong Kong back to China. Entitled "1997" it was to star Chow Yun-fat in the Delon role and I'm embarrassed to say who I wanted in the Volonté role, but he's a pretty big TV star now (no, not Kiefer Sutherland -- he's cool).
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Momoko Ando's "Kakera"
One of the films I pushed for inclusion in Skip City's newly established domestic competition section earlier this year (see my March 12 entry or collected Skip City entries) was 27-year-old Andô Momoko's (安藤モモ子） directorial debut Kakera - A Piece of Our Life (Kakera,『カケラ』). Based on Sakurazawa Erica's manga "Love Vibes," the story focuses on two women. One, who molds medical prostheses for a living, develops an instant fixation on another, a female university student, in what becomes a destructive relationship. My long-held interest in lesbian content (which probably dates back to Desert Hearts) aside, Kakera - A Piece of Our Life is an oddly engrossing film with a surprising sure-handedness in its direction.
"It girl" and fine actress Mitsushima Hikari is very believable as a young woman barely into adulthood who suddenly and somewhat forcefully becomes the object of desire for Nakamura Eriko's character. Nakamura is a dowdily-dressed "otaku" who wants to shape Mitsushima into the perfect counterpart. Looking at both actress' ages, I see that in fact Mitsushima is about to turn 24 while Nakamura is about to turn 21. You would never guess it watching this film. On a tangent I also want to mention that Mitsushima gave another excellent performance in PFF scholarship film Sawako Decides (Kawa no Soko kara Konnichiwa, 『川の底からこんにちは』). She can handle anything, it seems.
After our jury deliberations Kakera - A Piece of Our Life was set for inclusion but I was told Andô's father, famed actor-director Ôkuda Eiji (who recently starred in Sono Sion's Be Sure To Share and is on the jury of the in-progress Montreal World Film Festival) wanted his progeny's work to unspool at one of the major international events -- as in FIAPF-accredited competition festivals.
Well, that didn't happen but it just had its premiere at the Yufuin Cinema Festival in Ôita prefecture (I admit, I had never heard of it). More importantly, old cohort Jasper Sharp, who's been keeping a very close eye on Japan's emerging female directors, selected it for the 17th edition of the Raindance Film Festival (Sept 30 - Oct 11). Andô will also serve on the jury. As you may know, Andô's sister Sakura has appeared in the likes of Love Exposure and Ain't No Tomorrows, both of which are also screening at Raindance.
Ôkuda's clan is becoming a filmmaking dynasty of sorts -- the Makhmalbafs of Japan?
Update: Kakera - A Piece of Our Life's domestic release is tentatively scheduled for this fall but not confirmed yet.
Update 2: I found a full review (under the title Kakera - A Piece of Our Lives -- not sure which export title is correct) of the film ahead of its Raindance screening which goes into much more subtlety. Perhaps my "destructive" comment made the film sound overly dark. "Reconstructive" might be a better description of what Mitsushima's character goes through.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sabu On the Run Again!
As I hinted at on Twitter back in July, director Sabu, whose latest film The Crab Cannery Ship / Kanikosen (see collected posts) just wrapped up a good run at Shibuya's Cinema Rise and is still playing or set to open at other places around the country, was hired to direct what's dubbed in Japanese as an "inspire short film" streaming exclusively online ahead of the September 4th domestic release of Tony Scott's The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (retitled Subway 123: Gekitotsu in Japan).
Entitled Dash & Cash -- the names of lead characters played by Sasaki Ippei and Yamakawa Kazutoshi -- the 5-minute film sees Sabu royally return to his running roots with a backdrop of speeding trains. Are their characters chasing or being chased? The gag at the end is ridiculous and almost becomes some kind of modern dance performance (you'll understand). Sabu told me this slick little short was completed in one day of shooting and two days of editing. Watch it here.
Original short films that promote products (sometimes without the product even appearing) are nothing new in Japan or anywhere else, but a short film by a famous director of one country as the opening act for the big budget release of another is a pretty new concept -- at least a first in Japan. Kudos to United Cinemas, my favourite theater chain which also happens to be my local.
Sabu is also active on another creative front -- still photographs. Taken as part of the "artist's life" campaign promoting the new Olympus Pen series of cameras. Sabu snapped a series of photos taken while he was in Paris for Paris Project with "Arrested Memories" (see my June 13 entry). As he mentions in the interview portion, meetings went very well and it's looking like a fall 2010 shoot. He also laments the difficulties directors face in trying get original scripts off the ground in Japan. As I've mentioned on here and in more than a few industry articles, companies are becoming even more risk averse and want a strong gensaku (TV show, manga, novel, remake) to allay their investment fears.
Anyway, Sabu's Olympus shots alternate between scenery and self portraits, Sabu style (he had me pick the laceless Converse in Germany last year -- can't get them in Japan I guess?).
Saturday, August 22, 2009
JG Gets a Media Shout Out from a Friend
If you follow Japanese cinema you've heard about the growing number of female directors in recent years. Well, there are also women working behind the camera as cinematographers, editors, art directors, costumers, sales agents and yes producers -- the people that make it all happen.
Kitô Yukie (木藤幸江さん) is a unique figure in the Japanese film world. She entered the business overseas and upon returning to Japan learned the local industry under Ichise Takashige, becoming a producer herself. She's worked with directors as diverse as Mira Nair, Ethan Hawke, Wayne Wang and of course Kurosawa Kiyoshi for Tokyo Sonata (collected posts that mention the film here).
Despite her packed schedule at home and overseas she has found the time to keep up an excellent blog about her adventures in the film business on the website of Roadshow -- a long-running Japanese Hollywood movie magazine that went fully digital last year. Yukie and I always have a good chat about the state of the business with a bit of gossip thrown in, but it always comes down to getting excited about the great films that haven't been made yet. Yukie is very upbeat and enjoys what she does (film company workers, take note). Friends like that rub off on you.
She kindly included a little about me in her latest blog entry when we went out for lunch at the refurbished Las Chicas in Aoyama. We agreed that one project in particular had to get off the ground, but that it would take positive pushing from various sides.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Symbol Promotion - Matsumoto's Pyjamas on Kitty-chan
Normally I would just tweet news like this, but I thought it was such an odd korabo (collaboration) and kimokawaii visual that I'd post it on the blog. 
What you're looking at is a tie-up between Matsumoto Hitoshi's mysterious sophomore directorial effort Symbol (trace back from my June 12 entry) and Sanrio icon Hello Kitty. You can see more goods (stationary, stickers, plush toy etc) here.
Shochiku opens Symbol in Japan on September 12 and for those lucky enough to be in Toronto next month my good friend Colin Geddes has programmed Symbol's international premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness section (see here). That's where I'll be catching it.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Yamagata Documentary Fest Looking for Translators
For those of you based in Japan (or who will be in Japan this October), able to translate from Japanese to English and with an interest in documentary cinema, there are two volunteer openings at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (YIDFF), which runs October 8-15 in, yes, Yamagata City. There is a token payment which would cover transportation and lodging and you will have time to catch some films at one of the world's best and most important documentary film festivals.
If you head up to Yamagata early or stay after the festival (not during!) you could take a side trip to Shônai Eigamura in Tsuruoka City where films such as Sukiyaki Western Django, Thirteen Assassins and Zatoichi: The Last were shot.
If you're interested please contact Fujioka Asako. Details as follows:
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The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival is looking for two volunteer translators for the festival period of Oct 8 to 15, to translate Japanese to English for our Festival Daily Bulletin. It’s a daily newspaper that reports events and interviews throughout the festival. It’s unique as it is run (reporters, photographers, editors) completely by volunteers, amateurs in journalism but professionals in passion. As it is bilingual, we are always in need of translators, English language writers, and editors. We can offer (a measley) 50,000 yen for your participation, which will only barely cover bullet train to Yamagata and dormitory (sorry). Every day there will be 500 yen food tickets distributed twice daily for your meals. Sound like Kanikosen? Well, it is a lot of work but also lots of fun. We are looking for two English language translators to work in shifts, so you can enjoy the festival too. Please write or call if you are interested.
YIDFF Tokyo Office
www.yidff.jp
山形国際ドキュメンタリー映画祭 東京事務局
〒162-0054 東京都新宿区河田町7−6
ID河田町ビル３F
TEL 03-5362-0672 / FAX 03-5362-0670
EMAIL fujioka[at]tokyo.yidff.jp
www.yidff.jp
Friday, August 07, 2009
Japanese Film Biz Feeling the Heat...
Japan's current recession and the global financial crisis has cast the haves and have nots into even starker relief, with movie companies no exception. Toho continues to be impervious to hardship while other majors fall in and out of success. For those who don't subscribe to Screen International's RSS news feed for Asia or visit the website, here's my overview of the first half of the year: Japanese box office up 17.6% in first half of 2009.
Rosy cheeks at the top but when it comes to small-medium outfits there's a pallor -- even jaundice. And finally gangrene. Despite uncontrollable economic factors, it's still pretty clear that the fatal blows come down to a style of decision-making at these bankrupt and suffering companies:
Movie-Eye Entertainment (good people and intentions but crazed spending)
Gaga Communications (legendary spending, Golden Compass madness, losses of $80m last year and over $100m the year before, sold for $2m)
Japan Digital Contents (buying a used Lexus with investor money? it's called trust for a reason. hopefully new leadership and FSA directives help regain it, but image of film funds is forever damaged)
Wise Policy (rumour of president always living it up in Cannes, even while company folded this May)
Rumble Fish (a guy who wants to make great films but just has bad luck at box office?)
Another company that produced several lauded films has also ceased production but has yet to officially announce it while two more (one of them with a prez gone AWOL) are set to file for bankruptcy.
Harsh times unless you live on monster island...
Update: I once mentioned CG artist Florian Perret back in the comments of my first Nouvelle Tsunami post in December 2007. Florian worked at Gonzo in Tokyo's animation wonderland , Nerima (Gonzo lobby pic here). Gonzo is another company in trouble, recently delisting after the failure of a video royalties investment fund. What I didn't know about was the type of excess that went on there when they were flush with cash. Florian posted a reply to this blog entry on Facebook, offering further evidence of the conditions many animators in Japan put up with:
[Gonzo] got huge money from Goldman Sachs, then the top managements bought Mazeratti , Ferrari and Condos while the animators were still eating instant ramen. They hired hundreds of people to do absolutely nothing for 1 year. The plan was that the movie should be distributed by Gaga.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Summer Festival Notes 3 (Pia Fest Winners)
The Pia Film Festival wrapped up today with its award ceremony and closing screening at the National Film Center in Kyôbashi. I've been writing about PFF on here and more importantly (for the filmmakers) in Screen for a few years now. I'm very sad to say that PFF is no longer worthy of correspondent coverage according to Screen HQ's new budget cuts on festival wordage. In the past year we've seen professional (i.e. corporate owned) Asian film industry news operations neutered or simply put to sleep. Screen is no different. It used to be.
Below is the article (at least I can include Japanese). I mentioned a few of the winning films in my previous summer festival posts (1 and 2) and tweeted my predictions here.
Oh, and Matsuda Ryûhei was dressed more casually than the other jury members and didn't say a lot (as usual) but was genuinely impressed with the quality of the films this year.
The Temperature Of A Second wins top prize at Japan's Pia Film Festival
Director Masayuki Inoue’s feature debut The Temperature Of A Second (Ichibyô no Ondo, 『一秒の温度』) won the grand prix at the 31st edition of the Pia Film Festival (PFF), which ran July 17 to 31 at the National Film Center in Tokyo.
The Temperature Of A Second follows a bumbling coward (Inoue) as he deals with the various people in his life. The award also carried a cash prize of $10,500 (Y1m).
The runner-up prize and $2,100 (Y200,000) went to Ryô Iizuka's 61-minute In The Fog (Moya No Naka, 『靄の中』).
Three special jury prizes were awarded to Shôko Kimura's Ordinary Love (Futsû No Koi, 『普通の恋』), Akihito Kajiya's Chain and Hajime Ôhata's A Big Gun (Dai Kenjû,『大拳銃』), all shorts.
Shujian Ren's feature My Lyrical Age (Watashi no Jojôteki na Jidai, 『私の叙情的な時代』was awarded the TBS project prize and Imagica technical prize while Tetsuichirô Tsuta’s feature Dream Island (Yume no Shima, 『夢の島』) grabbed the audience award.
The competition jury included actor Ryûhei Matsuda, director Nobuhiro Suwa, producer Atsuyuki Shimoda, novelist Shion Miura and director Daihachi Yoshida. The 16 self-produced features and shorts were selected from 569 submissions (down from 601 last year).
PFF also sponsors a scholarship for one winning filmmaker, funding one 35mm feature per year. Yûya Ishii’s comedy drama Sawako Decides (Kawa no Soko kara Konnichiwa, 『川の底からこんにちは』) screened at this year’s edition.
Last year’s scholarship film, Takatsugu Naitô's The Dark Harbour, went on to compete in Rotterdam and won a special mention at the Taipei film festival while Masahide Ichii's grand prix winner Naked Of Defenses won the new currents prize in Pusan.
PFF also featured retrospectives on Nagisa Ôshima and Clint Eastwood.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Summer Film Festival Notes 2
Through my annual work for TOKYO FILMeX, beginning soon, I found out last week who the foreign retrospective is on for this year's 10th anniversary (November 21-29) and it's one of my favourite European filmmakers of all time. Strangley, I've only mentioned this director once in the blog's history. More on that and the classic Japanese retrospective in the coming months.
Liking the new colourful artwork promoting the event.
Back to the Pia Film Festival, here are impressions on a few more films I thought were well done: Iwanaga Hiroshi's Soredake - That's All- (Soredake, 『ソレダケ』), Matsumura Shingo's Yahoo From a Corner (Katasumi de, Yahoo, 『かたすみで、ヤッホウ』), and Japan-based Chinese director Ren Shujian's My Lyrical Age (Watashi no Jojôteki na Jidai, 『私の叙情的な時代』).
From the program book entry on Soredake - That's All-: Mana, a ninth grade girl, spends a summer holiday by herself. Bored of just sleeping, she goes outside and sits in the park, then comes back home. After taking a shower, she notices something. It was her first step towards becoming an adult.
This 26m short was very good at capturing the hazy period between girlhood and womanhood. Mana plays with stuffed toys on one hand but dresses up to get noticed on the other. The film also captures that realization that those things called "parents" are just people, too. Bad actors can't even sleep realistically but Matsui Minami does it perfectly. A nascent filmmaker who could be someone to watch if he teams up with a strong writer.
From the program book entry on Yahoo From a Corner: Junko, who works as a telephone operator, is currently 28 years old. Added to the frustration of not being able to find a steady job, she is annoyed by Yasuko, her somewhat self-centered roommate who is an aspiring actress. Then one day, Yasuko makes her debut as an actress before Junko lands a job.
This film achieved quite a lot through things left unsaid, relying quite heavily on lead actress Yamamoto Yume and her expressive eyes. You've heard of the increasing pressure Japanese women feel as they move into their late 20s? If they haven't become what's considered a proper shakaijin it can be even more crushing. Yamamoto's small acts of revenge against her more successful roomie are funny and sad. Film finishes on a strong line of dialogue.
From the program book entry on My Lyrical Age: Zhao Ming, a Chinese student from Nanjing, meets a Korean student, a Japanese man past middle age, a woman from Taiwan, and a Chinese mother and child who are staying in Japan illegally. Zhao Ming had been living life shrewdly until then, but through his interactions with these people, he gains something more valuable than money.
Very impressive feature film from Ren, who directed Summer Vacation in North Korea 2005, using the money he made from TBS' broadcasting of the film post-YIDFF to help fund My Lyrical Age. In its own, carefully structured way this is an epic of Asian race relations in Tokyo (centering around Ikebukuro, not far from where I live). Much of it is based on Ren's own life and struggles, and it feels all the more real for that. One of the most professional works I've seen at PFF. Looks to travel.
I also caught a screening of In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no Corrida, 『愛のコリーダ』) which played as part of PFF's mini-retrospective on Ôshima Nagisa. Before the film producer Wakamatsu Kôji spoke for about an hour, telling some very interesting anecdotes about the genesis and filming of this legendary erotic work. The version screened was Ai no Corrida 2000, which is fully uncut but blurs out genitals (though not post-severing) with small ovals. The controversial scene with the little boy and girl was intact.
Don Ryuganji told me the Criterion Blu-ray release includes great interviews from Fuji, Wakamatsu, Sai and other people who worked on the film so rather than repeat what may already be out there, if you're curious about topics Wakamatsu didn't cover on video post a comment. One interesting fact was Dauman having the final say on Matsuda after she and four other women were flown to Paris. He called Ôshima and said "she's the one" and cinema history was made...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Summer Film Festival Notes 1
The heat and my workload has led to sluggish blogging habits, which look to continue for a while with a stack of 40 DVDs to go through for an upcoming festival. At least my tweeting is consistent. Following is a mish-mash of thoughts on screenings at two summer film festivals -- Skip City and the Pia Film Festival.
A week ago Skip City screened a recent installment in Shochiku's ongoing Cinema Kabuki series, Cinema Kabuki: Renjishi/Rakuda (『シネマ歌舞伎 「連獅子/らくだ」』). Renjishi was directed by Yamada Yôji -- his second effort in the series (see my July 2008 entry for more on the first). HD cameras were brought onto the stage during rehearsals for the first time, making this tale of a father lion who pushes his two cubs off a cliff only to raise the one that comes crawling back particularly vibrant. The proceedings are heightened by the casting of legendary performer Nakamura Kanzaburô XVIII and his two sons (Kantarô and Shichinosuke). When the trio start "head banging" it's quite a sight.
Rakuda is an hilarious tale of a petty criminal who tries to extort money out of his dead boss' landlord with the help of a junk collector (Nakamura Kanzaburô again). Never mind Weekend At Bernie's, Kataoka Kamezô gives the best corpse performance ever. Nakamura is always brilliant as a bumbling loser.
Complete details on both live performance captured, here and here (fantastic site).
The latest Cinema Kabuki release is a ghost story, Kaidan Botan Dôrô (『怪談 牡丹燈籠』) now showing at the Shochiku Tôgeki in Ginza. Kaidan of whatever form are enjoyed in the summer -- they chill you nicely.
On Friday morning I caught Michael Worth's debut feature film God's Ears, which the prolific action film actor impressively wrote, directed, starred in and served as a cameraman on. Cool veteran actor John Saxon has a role in it. It was good to talk to him after the screening. Worth is a fan of Japanese cinema as this recent interview reveals.
Finally, here's my Skip City wrap-up article. Was glad that Shiraishi Kazuya's Lost Paradise in Tokyo won the Skip City award. I felt it was the strongest of the three films I helped select for the domestic features category. Festivals that specialize in Japanese cinema (you know who you are) -- I recommend you screen it.
Also on Friday was the opening day of this year's Pia Film Festival at the National Film Center in Kyôbashi. The two standouts were Kimura Shôko's Ordinary Love (Futsû No Koi, 『普通の恋』) and Iizuka Ryô's In The Fog (Moya No Naka, 『靄の中』).
From the program book entry on Ordinary Love: A girl who has been sexually awakened by reading a book entitled "The Sex of Plants" falls in love with a pre-University student with a virginity complex who assaults her. She eventually confines him and loses herself in wild fancies based on her inner lust while dripping sand from between her legs.
It was a little rough around the edges but with its highly creative art direction, fantastical tone and retro-looking young heroine it seemed to channel the spirit of Nikkatsu roman poruno (without any real nudity) and a mini Woman in the Dunes, complete with apartment desert set. Kimura herself looked great on stage in latticework stockings and what appeared to be stainless steel high heels. Watch for her as part of the female director new wave.
From the program book entry on In the Fog: Mamoru is a high school student who is about to fail because he has been missing school and lacks the necessary number of days to graduate. While on the one hand he feels a sudden urge towards violence and murder, on the other he longs to become a farmer in a mountain village. Such ambivalent feelings are depicted in this work.
This one-hour film could've easily been expanded into a feature. In it's current form it's still an unsettling portrait of how a young man's mind slowly darkens until he's driven to commit matricide. Iizuka blends the beauty of the countryside jaunts (in Nagano, where I once lived for half a year), with their improvised scenes featuring real local residents, and the hikikomori-esque apartment sequences.
Heading out for Ôshima Nagisa's A Treatise on Japanese Bawdy Songs (Nihon Shunka-kô, 『日本春歌考』) as introduced by Kurosawa Kiyoshi.
