eiga sai 2008

And so it's that time of the year once again when japanese film enthusiasts rush to the edifices of Shang to watch Eiga Sai 2008. It's that yearly japanese film festival which feature contemporary as well as old jap movies that shows japanese culture and lifestyle. This year, it focuses on the youth--how they love, their experiences, their way of thinking.

I, along with a close friend and two new friends were luckily able to watch its opening last monday. We watched We Shall Overcome Sunday which tackled about the prevailing rift between japanese and koreans. This time, it showed how this situation has come to influence the youth as well-the presence of gang war, rough-necked gangs, fighting and almost killling each other.The movie might have showed violence and brutality, but it as well showed how in this kind of situation, there also blossomed a friendship and love between the two races.


The next day, Joey and I watched the screenings again. This time it was Jap-movie galore which started at 2 in the afternoon. First moVIE was Hanging Garden, which showed the typical Japanese family life. In the movie, the featured family was one which never kept any secret from anyone. Anything is revealed, or simply told to anybody in the family. It showed their openness to one another. They can talk about anything under the sun may it be about sex, love or simple feelings with each other. Or so they think that they never keep any secrets from one another--still there are situations they keep each other from telling, some hidden truth that they never revealed with one another. This tests the family's bond with each other.

There will be some hidden truths that will come out in the open, and dark shadows of the past that will haunt their present lives.

It's remarkable to note about the film's cinematography--the use of "vertigo" shots, wherein the camera is spun on 360 degree angle. It may be an implication of how one character simply wants to perfect a family, just like the perfect form of a circle so to straighten the crookedness of her past, or so that the dark past won't happen again.

Their is also the use of blood, screams and rain, to indicate the darkness of this past, the shrieking scream that finally lets go of all the pain and how the rain washes away all the gore and darkness of it.

The movie got it's title Hanging Garden from that piece of furniture which was hanging at the family's round dinner table, supporting the light bulb and has a garden as its design. That piece is something indicating the family's bond, one that is always left hanging due to life's conflicts, situations and the consequences it bring but tries to keep it steady and together.

Second movie that we were able to watch was Linda Linda Linda which is a feel-good movie about established friendship through music. It showed the lives of four kids who tried to create a band, keep it together and still do the act, amid their conflicts with one osanother. it also showed a friendship which bloomed between a korean who tried to adjust to the japanese school community, and japanese kids which realized how they can pull up a good friendship with each, one that is cherished and will always be remembered.

Third movie, which we found the most interesting one was A Stranger Of Mine. Simply speaking it could have been a short narration of one event, but showed the different perspective and actions of four characters involved in that event. Let me quote a review, as I can't find of exact words to describe how this feel was intellectually created:

a film built on subtlety, intelligence and humanity. While it is not a flashy film by any means it is the sort that just grows and grows and grows as it progreses until, while you are unlikely to point to any particular moment that makes it so, you exit the theater knowing that you've just seen something special.

-NYAFF Report

you can view the full review here

Watching these films, stirs up the "creativity" in me. It inspires me to, one day do something like this, along with good writing and brainstorming, as well as the motivation and belief in oneself to make such things possible.

*****

I felt blessed that I have films like these to watch, along with Joey, my freelance artist-friend with whom I share my rants and dreams with. Good luck to us, and we will do great projects some day!!!

You're almost there my friend!