510pm. Movie Cafe.
Film: With a Little Help From Myself
Story: A “Super Typhoon” is spawned off the coast of China. A spectacular film portraying a mayor who unyieldingly enforces the state of alert, as well as various human events that are tossed about by the typhoon.
Present: Feng Xiaoning (director), Song Xiaoying (actress), Liu Xiaowei (actress)
How did the Chinese film industry react to this film? Also, has there ever been a movie about natural disaster made at the scale you did?
Feng Xiaoning (FX): This film will be screened in China on the 24th this month, so the Japanese audience will see it first! There has never been a natural disaster movie created at the scale “Super Typhoon” has been made, and so I can feel that the Chinese people are looking forward to this movie. For the past few years, China has suffered catastrophic earthquakes and Japan is also a country of earthquakes and typhoons. I hope this movie will get people to think about how to face such disasters when they actually happen. Under such circumstances, what counts the most are human lives, and every life should be protected by the people and government joining hands. I’d like the people of the world to realize that the many natural disasters are a result of mankind’s selfish actions. To be loved by the world, we must first learn to love the world.
How was it being a part of “Super Typhoon”?
Liu Xiaowei (LX): It wasn’t easy! It snowed heavily last winter in China and many parts of the country were damaged by this. This was right when we were shooting this film and I recall Mr. Xiaoning telling us that he will do everything he has to do to shoot this movie. In my case, many of my scenes were solos, which made it harder under such weather conditions. After several retakes, Mr. Xiaoning looked as if he was about to start a storm himself! I used to work as a
nurse, and that’s how I got through the scene... luckily before his storm landed on us!
Song Xiaoying (SX): For an actor, every role has its own characteristic. Professions such as teachers and doctors are easy to come across, but when it comes to meteorologists, we hardly have a chance to meet them. But, in the end, what matters is not what the cast thinks about the movie, but what the audience feels. In the movie, there is an actual typhoon called “Shirayuri”, which landed in both Japan and China in 1993. Being here in Japan with “Super Typhoon”
feels almost as if I was meant to come!
Do you feel the world is now facing a serious crisis caused by global warming?
FX: Global warming is a serious problem which every person on earth must think about. In the movie, a level 18 typhoon hits us, and we know that typhoons are caused by the rising temperature of the ocean. Every economy flourishes by paying the price of pollution and destruction, which China is undergoing right now. I have been appointed ambassador
of protecting the natural environment and I hope this movie will direct the serious global issues to the public. I have also suggested that we start a “No-Car Day” every week, which is now gaining support among the people in Beijing. My wife is also more careful about not using more water than necessary. She has started using left over bath water to flush the toilet or to do the laundry.
SX: I feel a bit guilty after hearing Mr. Xiaonong’s words... I’ll try to improve on not spending too much.
LX: I first worked with Mr. Xiaoning in 2001. We were on location in Mongolia, a place where there once was grass as tall as my height, but now barely covering the surface of the earth. It was desertification right there in front of me.
FX: 20 years ago, I made a movie that addressed environmental issues. I’ve been concerned about global warming and contamination since then. I will continue to put forth these issues and the importance of living in harmony with nature.
345pm. Movie Cafe.
Event: International Competition Jurie
Present: Jon Voight (President of Jury), Michael Gruskoff, Huo Jianqi, Cesar Charlone,
Fumi Dan, Koji Takada
[Intro]
Jon Voight: It is a very extraordinary group of people that we have summoned for the jury and we are all very happy with each other and to be here in Tokyo for the International Film Festival. Also, we’ve been very warmly taken care of by the staff here.
When you make a film, an assembled family gets together—talented people—and they give you their most intimate feelings and their most personal thoughts. It is an honor to see this work. And then we have the difficulty of making decisions about awards. It’s a difficult job but it’s a great responsibility and we are all enjoying the process.
Cesar Charlone: It’s my first time in Japan and I’m very happy to be here. Also I’m very grateful that TIFF invited me and happy that we have such a good selection of films, which I’ve been having a good time watching.
Fumi Dan: It is a great honor to among such great filmmakers. In the beginning when I realized that I am actually with them, I felt quite small being among them. But they have welcomed me with such an open heart and we are truly one family here, with of course, one of the greatest boss that you can imagine, Mr. Voight! Now, we have spent time watching the films, but we haven’t talked to each other about what we feel about he films yet. I really look forward to that day when we have an open discussion about each film.
Michael Gruskoff: I feel great being here and I love watching movies! It is also a great pleasure to be a jury. I’ve been looking forward to TIFF ever since I came to Kyoto this August for the film festival, and I plan to enjoy myself for the next week.
Huo Jianqi: I have been to Tokyo countless times and I have a very deep relation with Tokyo in the sense that one of my films has been screened at TIFF in the Competition section. I have become friends with many filmmakers in Japan as well as with the Japanese people. It is my big honor to a wonderful feeling to be among such great members of the jury.
Koji Takada: As a representative of one of the filmmakers, I must say that all these years making films, whenever I had that chance to critique a film, I’ve always felt bad. But after making films for fifty years, I feel that maybe I ‘m ready to jump over to the other side to provide my judgment about films with other great judges. So far, we haven’t discussed any of the films yet, we’ve just gathered to listen to Mr. Voight’s humorous stories! But I look forward to the day we let all our thoughts and feelings about the films we watched.
How do you plan to go about with the judging process?
Voight: It’s going to be a very interesting dialogue. I don’t think it’s going to be about convincing each other, but a matter of us sharing our enthusiasm about different aspects of the film. We will come to a consensus that will be very specific.
What are your criteria for judging a movie?
Charlone: I want to see a film as an audience not as a filmmaker. I want the emotions to touch my heart.
Dan: When I see a movie, I’d like to think, “Boy! I wish I had that role!”
Gruskoff: The first thing is the story, then how the director interprets the story.
Jiangi: A good movie one that is so special that it grabs my heart and also one that is a stepping stone to my next film.
Takada: Since I’m a scriptwriter, it’s essential that a good film has a good story that brings a lot of emotions and excitement.
130pm. Movie Cafe.
Film: Tulpan
Story: Story of a young man’s desire to get married in order to become an adult. The life of a family in the harsh wildness is depicted with subtle humor. The picturesque beauty of the landscape is overwhelming.
Present: Sergey Dvortsevoy (Director), Askhat Kuchinchirekov (Cast), Samal Ylyamova (Cast)
What is your impression of Japan?
Sergey Dvortsevoy (SD): I came to Japan eight years ago for the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. It’s hard to believe that I’m in the same country as then since Tokyo is such a large city. As a movie director and an artist, it is vital to visit other countries and touch upon their culture in order to compare it to my own country.
Samal Yeslyamova (SY): Tokyo feels like a special city like no other in the world. I feel the people’s love for their country.
Askhat Kuchinchirekov (AK): I first became interested in Japan after watching Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”. I especially like Japanese literature by writers such as Kobo Abe, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Haruki Murakami, all of whom I are just as great as Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, and Tolstoy. I’m also interested in Japanese women!
I heard it took four years to complete this movie. Why did it take so long?
SD: Yes, it took four years from the planning stage. Six weeks before shooting started, I asked the cast to experience a nomadic life. As shooting progressed, we ended up changing about 80 percent of the scenes. There was a lot of discussion among us when dealing with sensitive scenes such as the suicide one.
How was nomadic life?
SY: I was born and raised in the city and so up until then, I hadn’t known what countryside life was all about. Living out of a tent wasn’t an easy life, but in the end, I think it was one of the most interesting experiences in my life.
Mr. Kuchinchirekov, I understand that you are a singer—how did you feel agreeing to film this movie under harsh conditions?
AK: There’s a proverb that goes “One is given three turning points in life”. This movie was definitely one of the turning points in my life and life itself. I feel a much richer and larger person after having taken part in this movie.
Is there any special reason why you used the scene where the sheep is giving birth at the climax?
SD: That scene was just another scene in the original script, but since it turned out to be such a powerful and beautiful scene, we decided to bring it in the end.
What were the reasons for selecting Samal Yeslyamov and Askhat Kuchinchirekov?
SD: Rather than a professional, I was looking for actors who approached this movie with an open mind and someone with individuality. I walked all around Kazakhstan with a small camera in hand and met over one thousand candidates before I met them.
This movie is a joint-production among five countries but the movie itself is Kazakh and Russian. How do the other countries come in?
SD: The producer is German, the Director of Photography is Polish, and the sound effects were created by a Swiss team.
What are the reasons for using Boney M’s music?
SD: Boney M is quite popular in Kazakhstan and Russia, plus their music fits in well with the movie. But of course it’s because I like them!
Video of our 1st day whirl tour around Tokyo is up! View them at:
http://tiff-mx.blogspot.com/2008/10/walking-around-land-of-rising-sun.html
ALSO, A small taste of Tokyo Press conference of the film, "THE CODE". You can view a video clip & slide show of the press conference here at:
http://tiff-mx.blogspot.com/2008/10/code-press-conference.html
Enjoy!
545pm. Movie Cafe.
Film: With a Little Help From Myself
Story: Sonia is pretty and black. She is married with four children and works as a home-care aide in her housing projects. The day of her daughter’s wedding, the sky come crashing down on her head. Robert, her 80-year-old neighbor, is the only person she can turn to. Whiter than him is hard to find. More helpful either. But in life, nothing is free. Except chance, if you know how to make the most of it.
Present: Félicité Wouassi (actress)
What is your impression of Japan?
I still haven’t had the chance to see much except for the TIFF venues, but I can say that the theaters are wonderful. Actually, my brother is married to a Japanese woman and they live in Kyoto. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to visit them this time, but the flight to Japan from Cameroon wasn’t as long as I thought so I’d love to come back again.
How did you meet François Dupeyron and be casted in this film?
Director Dupeyron saw a play I was in, which was Roman Polansky’s “Doute” and asked me if I was interested in being a part of a movie he was planning to film. He gave me the script that night and I read it laughed all night until 2am! I called Dupeyron and asked if some parts wouldn’t be racially biased, and if he planned to shoot the movie with this script. When he said he would, I agreed right then to accept his offer.
You had a very attractive role in this film. Did you feel that it was written with you in mind?
I don’t know if it was written for me or not, but it was a great pleasure acting Sonia. I really felt she was a part of me. Dupeyron is one of my favorite directors and Yves Angelo’s camerawork is amazing. It was as if the camera was an independent role, as if an actor just like the one of us! That’s probably why it didn’t feel as if we were shooting a film. Sonia is not a complicated person, so I kept my acting simple. I wanted every mother watching this movie to be able to relate to Sonia. Initially, she was portrayed as a kind and gentle woman, but I told Dupeyron that her kindness felt fake and not humanlike. When a person is placed in the position to protect his or her children or standing, even a woman could be violent. The scene where a man is pulled out of a dryer expresses just this.
The movie takes place in the outskirts of Paris, but the imagery was far from what we visualize of France and Paris...
Have you seen Mathieu Kassovitz’s film, “HAINE”? The outskirts of Paris have long been home to the working class. Companies such as Renault built factories in these areas, constructed apartments and created employment for the immigrants of Paris. With the passing of time, this area became a closed and secluded community. The factories are now gone but the descendants of the immigrants have remained, creating a neighborhood just like the one portrayed
in this film. Yet, as Dupeyron said, this is not a movie about working class district in Paris; rather, it is about an average family living in this area. He was shocked by the reality that many elderly Caucasians neglected by their family and society live here. And that the only people who take care of them are the young immigrants from Northern Africa. This movie is about two strangers like Sonia and Robert meeting and learning to understand each other.
You have a different aura from Sonia...
I spent 6 months being Sonia. So on the last day, I shaved my hair off as a farewell to Sonia. It will grow back soon! But a shaved head feels smooth and nice!
Director: Feng Xiaoning
Pretty much a no holds, leave your brains outside kind of film. Just sit back and enjoy the carnage. They've got all the formulas needed, The Mayor, a hero with heart of gold, helpless civilians, a protagonist determined to get back to his wife who is giving birth, fishermen who are willing to save their boats with their lives, long lost teachers and even tops it off, playing homage to hollywood disaster flicks, a dog who survives at the end. Look out Hollywood, China is slowly catching up on you.
Film: Shonen Merikensack
Story: A record company employee discovers a punk rock band called "Shonen Merikensack" and is assigned the task of signing them even though she's not particularly adept at her job and doesn't enjoy punk music.
Present: Kankuro Kudo(Director),Aoi Miyazaki(Cast), Yuichi Kimura(Cast), Tomorowo Taguchi(Cast), Koichi Sato(Cast)
Being in TV and film now, which is harder?
Even when the roles are different, what makes it easier is the fact that the make-up, costume and set plays a major role to how to differentiate my TV and film profile.
Being surrounded by a cast of all male and middle aged men, how were they treating you?
Oh they were kind to me. Very much a cosy cast with natural bonding. Even in silence, there isn't an awkward treatment at all. Thats how comfortable we are with each other.
Kudo (Director), you look too young to be involve to be in punk rock. Are you into this genre?
Young? I'm actually 38! And yes, i am into the genre. Punk was introduced to japan when i was in middle school and made me wonder, what if being a 25 year old punk guy grow up to be when they get older? Will they fit in the society? Will something positive come out of it? That are the questions i want to be faced in the film.
You having been directing several TV shows and stage, is film harder for you?
Its hard to say, Definitely, with film, I have to watch what i say. Of cos, there is alot of involvement in the film process but the satisfaction is definitely worth it. You get to have a feeling of attachment to the work and that is a special feeling, especially when u show it to an audience.
Film: Echo of Silence
Story: A story of a woman who lost memory of her love, and a speechless man.
Present: Atsuro Watabe (Director), Saki Takaoka (Cast)
When the film was completed?
I had the idea 5 years ago and was made in 3 weeks. The project was smooth sailing but was problematic in editing.
As a 1st time director, when and how did you (director) get/ask Saki Takaoka on board? What was her attraction?
I had known her for long time. We were in a film together when she was 18. She was flexible and diverse in acting. She has a good vibe in working condition. So it was natural in my choice of selection.
Even though the film has no strong story, was there a msg behind it?
I didn't want to and wanted a great sense of feeling from my actors. As for hidden msges, non so far as i wanted to leave interpretation to the audience and let them think.
Which was harder? Directing or acting? (he does both)
I didn't compare as such. Just did a normal day to day work, going on instinct.
Why did you decide to direct?
I wasn't really driving on a motivation to be director. It was a natural selection to do so as i came up with the plot.
What was the procedure of the film making? Along the lines of script or gut feeling?
It wasn't a conscious mind set of the film making. It was rather a flexible system where certain scene will determine how it will be shot.
How was it working with the Atsuro Watabe (Director)?
He try his best to give everyone comfort. Even with a 2 weeks time frame, he was relaxed and appreciate the effort. No arrogance, just relax and natural as he is now.
Director: Mamoru Oshii, Kenta Fukasaku, Takanori Tsujimoto, Minoru Tahara
Cast: Yoko Fujita, Rinko Kikuchi, Takuya Mizoguchi
When: 17 Oct 2008
What: Tokyo International Film Festival
Where: Roppongi Keyakizaka Street
Tony Leung, Julianne Moore, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Yoshino Kimura, Hiroshi Abe, Carina Lau, Teppei Koike and Vicki Zhao are just a few of the names gracing the glamourous event right here, accentuated at the Roppongi Keyakizaka Street in the enchanting dusk of the evening. Straying away from the usual red carpet, green seem to be the in thing nowadays hence The Green Carpet Welcome on the opening day at Roppongi Keyakizaka Street with a hope of conveying the message of “Ecology = Preservation of Earth’s Environment.” and to top it off, the carpet is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles!
The 21st TIFF will hold various events under the theme of this edition, "Ecology", as innovative efforts to become a leading world film festival, in which guests, fans and sponsors will enjoy participating. Action! for Earth, speaks to the dying needs of the earth's environment. We've seen loads of filmmakers addressing the issue, no international film festival has stepped up to stand up for the cause.
So enough of the reading/writing, on with the pictures and videos!
1150am. Sky Studio.
Film: Shonen Merikensack
Story: For 60 years, the group of detectives known as "Detective Office 5" has raised the bar for detective work. The agents of Detective Office 5 are a group of stellar detectives lead by the genius code breaker Detective 507. When an unknown client enlists 507 to crack his most difficult programming code yet, the detective embarks for Shanghai where he crosses paths with a sniper, an informant, the head of the Blue-Dragon Mafia, and beautiful singer on the run, Meilan. As 507 stumbles deeper into a twisted quagmire of intrigue he discovers the sad truth behind the mystery.
Present: Kaizo Hayashi (Director), KikuNsuke Onoe (Cast), Izumi Inamori (Cast), Joe Shishido (Cast), Hiroki Matsukata (Cast), Shunsuke Matsuoka (Cast), Shiro Sano (Cast), Shihori Kanjiya (Cast)
And to think there were alot of journalist, videoman and photographers in Singapore and Hong Kong (HKIFF), take a look at the sheer number of them below! We were all gathered in a hall for a short briefing before the Green Carpet of the dos and don'ts. By the looks of these, we can set up a contengency to make up a school strength!
Despite the horror stories of the ever confusing train lines of japan, Tokyo has a relatively hassle free system of transportation. There is definitely a stop for every location u can think of.
Tokyo's subway network is operated by two companies, the Toei Subways with four lines, and Tokyo Metro (formerly known as Eidan Subways) with nine lines. Together, they densely cover central Tokyo, especially the area inside the Yamanote circle and the areas around Ginza and Shitamachi.
Trying to squeeze as much attraction as possible on our fist day, it was definitely worth the blister on my foot.
Not a jet plane exactly but an A380! The sweet plane, fresh from the oven Singapore airline plane that has a double deck. Having placing a seating choice of the upper deck, we had the privilege to pass through the 1st class section and what an envy streak struck upon me.
We made our flight smoothly of to Japan at 12 midnight, landing safely 7 in the morning. Time to be lost in translation!
