CAMERA JAPAN presents forty-three Japanese films accompanied by lectures, exhibitions, live performances, a Filmbrunch, the Kids' Day and Japanese delicacies.
CAMERA JAPAN takes place from Thursday 2 until Sunday 5 October in LantarenVenster, Rotterdam. In Amsterdam, the festival screens anime films from Monday 6 until Thursday 9 October in De Melkweg and part of the festival program from Friday 10 until Sunday 12 October in Kriterion. The full program will be online shortly on www.camerajapan.nl. (See title list below)
Festival Director Alex Oost states about this ninth edition: “CAMERA JAPAN has a smaller budget because private funds contributed less this year. Fortunately, the City of Rotterdam, Netherlands Film Fund and Rotterdam Festivals continue to support us. And we have a great team of volunteers for selecting films, organization, location styling and audience reception. It means that we now choose to show more films and less live performances. The very diverse contemporary Japanese cinema continues to surprise me with topical, intense, satirical and sometimes very exuberant comedies, tragedies, thrillers, action films, documentaries and anime. It is a pleasure to present this strong selection of 43 wonderful, recent works for CAMERA JAPAN 2014!”
Opening Film, thriller, mixed martial arts and comedy
Thursday 2 October, CAMERA JAPAN opens with Unforgiven by LEE Sang-il. This Japanese western, a remake of the Clint Eastwood classic and starring Ken WATANABE (Batman Begins, Inception), gets a second screening later during the festival. Nearly all selections are Dutch premieres, such as the thriller Forma, awarded by the international film critics in Berlin and the directorial debut of female filmmaker SAKAMOTO Ayumi; beautiful The Tale of Iya by young director TSUTA Tetsuichiro about life in a mountain village; the disturbing documentary Hybrid in which MATSUNAGA Daishi (who previously made Pyuupiru 2001-2008) portrays several mixed martial arts fighters and the charming comedy Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats by FUJITA Yosuke, who took the CAMERA JAPAN Audience Award in 2008 for his Fine, Totally Fine.
Pink film, sword fights and a local hero
The pink film & revenge thriller The Crazy Tune for Maria van IZUCHI Kishu gets its international premiere during CAMERA JAPAN. The female lead, actress MIZUI Maki, recently made her impressive directorial debut with Kept, also shown at the festival. Furthermore, the festival presents three European premieres: Short Hope by HORIGUCHI Masaki from the Jeonju film festival competition and a debut film as well; the endearing sword fighter film Uzumasa Limelight by OCHIAI Ken, recently awarded Best Film and Best Actor prizes at the Fantasia film festival in Montreal; and the documentary film Super Local Hero by TANAKA Toshinori portraying the owner of a small record shop who supports people evacuated from the Fukushima power plant area.
Anime: epic fight scenes, health care robot and short films
CAMERA JAPAN does not miss out on a sizeable portion of anime. Based on the eponymous video game, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate by KIZAKI Fuminori gloriously crosses borders with action, humor and epic fights. Roujin Z by KITAKUBO Hiroyuki, a classic from 1991, tells the weird and visionary story of a bed-shaped robot, designed to provide care for the elderly, running out of control. The four animated films compiled in Short Peace vary in style and excel with strong plots. The compilation Geidai Animation Best Selection reunites the ten strongest graduation works from the animation department of Geidai, the Tokyo University of Arts.
Theme: J-Dream
This edition, CAMERA JAPAN shines its light on all that is weird, wondrous and fantastic under the title J-Dream. The theme programme is a wide and wild selection of exploitation, action, horror, fantasy and science fiction. In short: all the good stuff Japanese cinema has to offer. J-Dream includes sixteen films such as the documentary Love Hotel by Phil Cox & TODA Hikaru about a unique and intimate aspect of Japanese society; the witty and extremely bloody Why Don't You Play in Hell? by SONO Sion, winner of the Midnight Madness audience award in Toronto; and The Apology King by MIZUTA Nobuo, one of the most talked about films in Japan recently, in which comedian ABE Sadao solves small and big problems as a specialist in the traditional act of apoligising.
Special live performances Cuushe and aus
Friday 3 October starting 21.30 hrs at LantarenVenster, CAMERA JAPAN presents a double-bill of live performances by Cuushe and aus, two of Japan's most impressive young artists. Tokyo-based Cuushe is the rising star of the Flau Records label. With her pop infused electronic music and mesmerising airy vocals she carries listeners to a beautiful dream world accompanied with stunning visuals. After his beautiful piano performance at CAMERA JAPAN in 2010, aus returns to Rotterdam. This time the Flau Records owner brings a more electronic set in which he combines delicate melodies with sounds from daily life.
Architecture, literature and visual arts
Next to sixteen festival films, J-Dream includes lectures and art exhibitions. Architecture historian and Japan specialist Dave van Eijnsbergen speaks about 'manga architecture'; Japanologist and literary translator Luk van Haute tells about fantasy elements within the Japanese literary tradition; urban planner Rob van der Bijl exhibits urban photography converted into manga inspired images. Artist KOINUMA Yoshiyuki presents newly created artwork inspired by games, biology, science fiction and Japanse comics.
CAMERA JAPAN is organised by about fifteen enthusiastic voluntary staff members. During the festival, additional volunteers welcome audiences and other festival guests. CAMERA JAPAN is supported by the City of Rotterdam, Netherlands Film Fund, Rotterdam Festivals, Fuji Film and many other business partners.
CAMERA JAPAN 2014 film selection
(All films Japanese spoken and English subtitled except Still the Water with Dutch subtitles)
Feature films
And the Mud Shop Sails Away, D: WATANABE Hirobumi, J 2013, NL premiere, Q&A with director
Apology King, The, D: MIZUTA Nobuo, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Broken Pieces, D: TAJIRI Yuji, J 2014, NL premiere
Capturing Dad, D: NAKANO Ryota, J 2012, NL premiere
Crazy Tune for Maria, The, D: IZUCHI Kishu, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Dancing Karate Kid, D: KISHIMOTO Tsukasa, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Danger Dolls, D: KANEKO Shusuke, J 2014, J-Dream, NL premiere
Forma, D: SAKAMOTO Ayumi, J 2013, NL premiere
Friendship, D: ENDO Mikihoro, J 2013, NL premiere
Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats, D: FUJITA Yosuke, Japan/UK/Italy/Germany 2014, NL premiere
Greatful Dead, D: UCHIDA Eiji, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
High Kick Angels, D: YOKOYAMA Kazuhiro, J 2014, J-Dream, NL premiere
Jossy's, D: FUKUDA Yuichi, J 2014, J-Dream, NL premiere
Kanagawa University of Fine Arts, Office of Film Research, D: SAKASHITA Yuichiro, J 2013, NL premiere
Kept, D: MIZUI Maki, J 2013, NL premiere
Kids Return: The Reunion, D: SHIMIZU Hiroshi, J 2013, NL premiere
Leaving on the 15th Spring, D: YOSHIDA Yasuhiro, J 2012, NL premiere
Little House, The, D: YAMADA Yoji, J 2014, NL premiere
Live, D: IGUCHI Noburu, J 2014, J-Dream, NL premiere
Ningen, D: Guilaume GIOVANNETTI & Çağla ZENCIRCI, Japan/Turkey/France 2013, NL premiere, Q&A with directors
Pecoross' Mother and Her Days, D: MORISAKI Azuma, J 2013, NL premiere
Short Hope, D: HORIGUCHI Masaki, J 2014, European premiere
Snow White Murder Case, The, D: NAKAMURA Yoshihiro, J 2014, NL premiere
Still the Water, D: KAWASE Naomi, J 2014
Tale of Iya, The, D: TSUTA Tetsuichiro, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Unforgiven, D: LEE Sang-il, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Uzumasa Limelight, D: OCHIAI Ken, J 2013, European premiere
Why Don't You Play in Hell, D: SONO Sion, J 2013, J-Dream
Zentai, D: HASHIGUCHI Ryosuke, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Documentaries
Beyond Metabolism, D: Stefanie GAUS & Volker SATTEL, J 2014, NL premiere
Get Action!!, D: KONDO Junya, J 2013, NL premiere
Hybrid, D: MATSUNAGA Daishi, J 2013, NL premiere
Love Hotel, D: Phil COX & TODA Hikaru, J-Dream, NL premiere, Q&A with director
Super Local Hero, D: TANAKA Toshinori, J 2014, European premiere
Tale of a Butcher Shop, D: HANABUSA Aya, J 2013, NL premiere
Anime
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, D: KIZAKI Fuminori, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere
Roujin Z, D: KITABUKO Hiroyuki, J 1991, J-Dream
Short Peace, compilation short films, J 2013, J-Dream, NL premiere:
· Combustible, D: OTOMO Katsuhiro
· Gambo, D: ANDO Hiroaki
· Farewell to Weapons, A, D: KATOKI Hajime
· Possessions, D: MORITA Shuhei
Geidai Best Animation Selection, compilation short films, J 2014, NL premiere
Geidai Animation Kids Selection, compilation short films, J 2014, NL premiere
Short films
Fantastic Shorts, compilation, J 2013/2014, J-Dream, NL premiere:
· Ninja Theory (Extended Edition), D: IITSUKA Takashi, J 2014
· The Lust of Angels, D: ISOGAI Nagisa, J 2013
· At the Last Stop Called Ghost Chimney, D: TOMINA Tetsuya, J 2013
New Directions in Japanese Cinema: NJDC shorts, compilation, J 2013/2014, NL premiere:
· Turning Tides, D: SHOJI Teruaki, J 2013
· Fragrance of the Machine Oil, D: KITAGAWA Obihiro, J 2014
· Buy Bling, Get One Free!, D: TAKAYA Kosuke, J 2014
Serori, D: Pedro COLLANTES, Spain/Japan/Netherlands 2014, Q&A with director
Short Shorts Film Festival, compilation, J 2013, NL premiere
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