latest news
The Sapphires To Open Melbourne International Film Festival
The feel-good feature is set to kick off the Melbourne film festivities.
Screen Australia Invests in 16 Features
An eclectic set of projects have been granted funding...
De Niro & Douglas To Headline ‘Last Vegas’
The two legendary gents look to be starring in this comedy centred around a Las Vegas bachelor party.
‘Housos’ Get Big Screen Outing
Writer/director/comedian Paul Fenech is set to make his debut feature.
search the site
newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive the weekly Filmink newsletter
Finding Hope On Screen
Currently rolling out around the country, the program for the 15th Japanese Film Festival has been influenced by the tsunami that devastated the country earlier this year.
"I believe that it is the focus on people and human nature that makes Japanese films unique," observes Masafumi Konomi, director of the 15th annual Japanese Film Festival, when quizzed about the industry's growing popularity. "Our goal is to extend Japanese culture to Australian community."
The festival, which is known for consistently delivering diverse and engaging works from both veteran and emerging Japanese filmmakers, is set to feature a dramatically different thematic program in 2011.
The catastrophic tsunami that wreaked mass destruction throughout Japan in March of this year has had far reaching consequences for a variety of Japanese industries, among them the country's entertainment sector. "Not only our film industry, but all of the entertainment industry has been affected by cancellation and postponement," states Konomi in relation to the disaster. "The overall theme this year is 'Finding Hope through Films' in order to think of what we can do for the recovery," he reveals.
The special event ‘Finding Hope through Films' will take place on November 27 during the Sydney run of the festival and on November 30 in Melbourne. Two films, Yamakoshi: the Recovery of a Tiny Japanese Village and The Town's Children, will be screened followed by panel discussions featuring a selection of filmmakers involved in the projects.
"Yamakoshi: the Recovery of a Tiny Japanese Village focuses on the continuous efforts of the Japanese people, as well as showing the strength and mateship of the Japanese spirit in the face of unthinkable trauma," Konomi says of director Shinichi Hashimoto's chronicle of the devastating effects of the 2004 Great Chuetsu Earthquake.
Similarly, The Town's Children explores the emotional conflict of two young people who are dealing with the traumatic aftermath of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. The film blurs the line between documentary and fiction as the youths are drawn back to their hometown and are haunted by memories of the disaster.
Konomi acknowledges that both features are a part of the cinematic movement attempting to "restore hope to our broken nation."
The festival will be partnering with Save the Children for the event, with the proceeds raised going to support the children of affected areas in resuming their everyday lives. "By watching those films, not only can we help by donating, but we can also bring a first-hand insight to the Australian people into what is happening in the day to day lives of people who have lost their homes and families through earthquakes and other disasters," says Konomi of the event.
The 2011 Japanese Film Festival line up will not be completely focused on the disaster however, with Konomi making sure that the program also features lighter content, including a mini retrospective of Japanese actor/filmmaker Koki Mitani entitled ‘King of Comedy'. The opening film A Ghost of a Chance, which Konomi tips as a festival highlight, will feature along with two other comedies, The Magic Hour and Suite Dreams in homage to Mitani. "Koki Mitani is truly a gifted filmmaker and appropriately called the ‘Japanese Billy Wilder,' asserts Konomi.
Other notable comedic additions include Ryuichi Honda's A Honeymoon in Hell: Mr and Mrs Oki's Fabulous Trip, the story of a newlywed couple who, in an attempt to put some excitement into their lacklustre relationship, take the advice of the local fortune teller to go on a holiday in a less than usual destination; and the action-comedy Ninja Kids, the tale of a young boy who must break the family cycle of failed ninjas when he is sent off to learn all the tricks of the trade.
Konomi tips other unmissable films to include A Boy and his Samurai Sword in which a mother and son are forced to look after a samurai who has been transported into the modern age via bizarre circumstances, and Shinsan: A Serenade in a Coalmine Town, a nostalgic drama set in the fifties that chronicles a rambunctious child's love for an older woman. Both films have been the recipients of audience awards at many international festivals.
The Japanese Film Festival has already taken place in Adelaide, but will run in Perth (September 29-October 7), Hobart (October 16-19), Brisbane (November 1-4), Sydney (November 17-27), Melbourne (November 29-December 6) and Canberra (dates to be confirmed). For more information, go here.
Photo credit: Yamakoshi: The Recovery of a Tiny Japanese Village Film Partners.
