Mark Wahlberg is bringing the real-life disaster story of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion to life on the big screen.
“Good Morning America” debuted the new trailer for the film, “Deepwater Horizon,” which features the stories of those who worked on the BP rig during its harrowing final hours. The April 2010 explosion killed 11 people and triggered the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
Wahlberg stars as Mike Williams, an electrician who escaped from the burning rig. He’s joined by an impressive cast: Dylan O’Brien as floorhand Caleb Holloway; Gina Rodriguez as young crew member Andrea Fleytas; Kurt Russell as crew member Jimmy Harrell; and John Malkovich as BP representative Donald Vidrine.
“Deepwater Horizon,” hits theaters Sept. 30, 2016. Watch the trailer above and see the exclusive dramatic character posters below.
Veteran British director Ken Loach won his second Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival Sunday for I, Daniel Blake — a stark portrayal of a disabled man’s struggle with the crushing benefits system in northern England.
The 79-year-old was presented the festival’s top prize by actor Mel Gibson at a ceremony on the French Riviera. Accepting the award, the silver-haired Loach punched his fists in the air in victory and said that he hoped his gritty, social realist movie would hold a mirror up to the impact of Europe’s policies of austerity on the poorest in society.
Director Ken Loach, centre, actor Mel Gibson, left and President of the Jury George Miller react after Roach is awarded the Palme d’or for the film I, Daniel Blake, during the awards ceremony at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
“We must give a message of hope, we must say another world is possible,” he said.
I, Daniel Blake chronicles a middle-aged widower from Newcastle who, after a heart attack, can neither work nor get government aid. It follows the sometimes comic, frequently painful frustrations as he winds his way through an archaic system that seems designed to bring him down.
Like many of Loach’s films, social politics is at the heart of I, Daniel Blake — which many critics have predicted could be his last.
“There is a conscious cruelty in the way that we are organizing our lives now, where the most vulnerable people are told that their poverty is their own fault,” Loach told reporters. “If you have no work it’s your fault you haven’t got a job. Never mind in Britain, there is mass unemployment throughout Europe.”
Loach has long brought his distinct portrayals of the British working class to Cannes — and is more a regular at Cannes than almost any filmmaker. He has had 12 films in competition at the festival over the years, including his Palme d’Or-winning The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
Canadian director Xavier Dolan picked up the runner-up Grand Prize, which has been seen by some critics as a vindication for him personally after his film, It’s Only The End Of The World, garnered lukewarm reviews and triggered a spat between him and certain film critics. The 27-year-old won the jury prize in 2014 for Mommy.
Director Xavier Dolan poses for photographers with his Grand Prix prize for the film, Juste La Fin du Monde (It’s Only The End OF the World), during the photo call following the awards ceremony at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)
The jury of the 69th Cannes Film Festival was headed by Australian director George Miller who described the jury’s selection as “two words: rigorous and happy.”
The Cannes jury’s decisions are famously unpredictable, and take place behind doors closed to the press for the duration of the May 11-22 festival.
Despite mixed reviews, director Asghar Farhadi’s film, The Salesman, picked up several awards including best screenplay and best actor for Shahab Hosseini.
Romanian director Cristian Mungui, who was a favorite to win the Palme d’Or for Graduation, won the best director award, which he shared with French director Olivier Assayas for his paranormal thriller, Personal Shopper, starring former Twilight star Kristen Stewart.
Director Olivier Assayas poses for photographers after receiving the Best Director award for the film Personal Shopper, during the photo call following the awards ceremony at the 69th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
JIN MOYOUNG’S “MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER” WINS AUDIENCE AWARD AT SBIFF’S THE WAVE FILM FESTIVAL
SBIFF’s “The Wave Film Festival” concluded this past weekend with Jin Moyoung’s MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER from South Korea winning the Audience Award sponsored by the Santa Barbara Independent. This Wave highlighted 11 brand new Asian films from South Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines and Taiwan.
MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER is a South Korean documentary by Jin Moyoung and stars Jung Jaeyoung, Kim Minhee. MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER out-grossed INTERSTELLAR in its opening weekend in South Korea and went on to become the highest grossing indie/doc in Korean history.
Mickey Duzdevich, The Wave Director, commented, “Jim Moyoung’s documentary is the type of quality foreign film that we strive to bring audiences through the Wave Film Festival. It is so well deserving of the audience award, and there is no question why it is one of the most successful South Korean docs to date.”
An intimate portrait of an elderly couple nearing the end of life, MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER is as delicate as it is raw. Observing this fragile couple in their South Korean home, director Jin Moyoung’s camera acts as a fly on the wall, capturing a deep love painted through simple acts of affection—from a good-natured leaf fight to a gentle caress of the cheek. No filmmaking tricks are necessary, as the honest and tender feelings expressed by this husband and wife are all that’s needed to tell this story of true love.
“The Wave Film Festival” will return this summer on July 13th through July 17th and will highlight eleven new French Films over its five day run at the Riviera Theatre. Passes go on sale next week at www.sbiff.org.
The first South Bay Film and Music Festival, which takes place from June 1 to 5, is billed as a celebration of the arts, jam-packed with an eclectic blend of cinema, music and art.
Highlighted by a 50th anniversary screening of the iconic surfing film “The Endless Summer,” SBFF showcases social impact, sport and music documentaries, features and short films. Question-and-answer sessions and panels with filmmakers take place throughout the event that has its headquarters in Hermosa Beach, with some events in El Segundo, Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes.
Jon Fitzgerald, SBFF executive director, said there will be a “lot of discovery with filmmakers and musicians” at the festival.
“Beyond the quality of film and music, I believe we’re really going to create some unique experiences,” said Fitzgerald, who grew up in the South Bay and is a film industry professional who has directed numerous film festivals.
Fitzgerald said the community has opened its arms to the festival and the city has given him “universal support.”
“It’s nice when you come into a town and the city and the local government and officials all want to roll up their sleeves and help,” Fitzgerald said. “It makes it more rewarding and less challenging frankly. Anybody can go into a city and rent a theater and print a poster and say, ‘I’m going to show movies.’ But if the city is not behind it, it’s really harder to gain traction.”
“The South Bay Film and Music Festival is bringing a variety of stellar evenings to our beach city,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Carolyn Petty, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to support the festival for five days, and encourage our community members from the South Bay and beyond to come enjoy an evening—or five—in Hermosa Beach.”
Opening night
The opening night Gala for SBFF Wednesday, June 1, starts with Taste of the South Bay, from 5 to 7 p.m., which features culinary specialties from more than 20 local restaurants, at the Hermosa Community Center, at the corner of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. The evening also includes an art exhibition featuring surf artists and photographers and a performance from a jazz band.
Making its premiere at 7 p.m. is “Voyagers Without Trace,” a documentary about a French couple and their friend who took their cameras on a kayaking trip down the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1938. Director Ian McCluskey will be in attendance for a question-and-answer session.
Thursday special presentations
Classics from the silent film era and a modern classic from a horror icon highlight the Thursday, June 2 festivities.
A 30th anniversary screening of “Stand By Me,” Stephen King’s story of four friends who stumble upon a dead body, begins at 8:15 p.m., at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. A reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m., prior to the screening.
Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo hosts a 90th anniversary screening of “The General,” starring Buster Keaton, beginning at 7 p.m. Bill Field, who re-opened the theater in 1968 as a silent movie theater, 47 years after its original opening, will accompany the 1926 film with a Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ that was built in 1925 and brought from Long Beach.
‘Endless Summer’
Iconic surf filmmaker Bruce Brown will he honored with the first “Action Sports Pioneer Award” before the screening of his classic documentary, “The Endless Summer,” about two surfers and their world travels, Saturday, June 4.
The day begins with a “Sea to See” reception from 4 to 5:30 p.m., which features more than 50 pieces of artwork from notable surf artists and photographers. The tribute to Brown takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by “The Endless Summer” screening.
(Photo courtesy of SBFF)
Surf Film Showcase
Aside from “The Endless Summer,” nine other surf films, short and feature length will be screening at SBFF.
Subjects range from a 9-year-old Brazilian surfer who moved to California to pursue his dreams to a profile on India’s first female surfer.
Shorts Program
Three shorts programs takes place June 2, 3 and 4, at 9:30 p.m. The first program, on Thursday, June 2, features “Cause Cinema,” “where the movies engage and inspire,” according to Fitzgerald, who founded Cause Pictures and wrote his first book in 2012, “Film making for Change: Make Films That Transform the World.”
Competition
Thirteen films are competing in the documentary film competition. Subjects range from an Iditarod Sled Dog Race champion to the lives of three gay Palestinian friends. The films are screening throughout the festival.
Hazing to an 11-year-old boy competing at the World Paper Plane Championship are the subjects of two of the nine films up for Best Narrative Film.
Closing night
SBFF closes Sunday, June 5, with an awards ceremony and a screening of awards winning films.
The awards ceremony takes place from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and features awards for Jury Prize – Best Narrative Film,” “Jury Prize – Best Documentary Film,” and audience awards for narrative, documentary, Cause Cinema Spotlight and Surf Film Showcase.
A dessert reception takes place from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by screenings of award winning films from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Music showcases
SBFF also features plenty for the music fan beginning Thursday, June 2, with singer/songwriters Isla June and Nick Shattuck performing at the South Coast Botanic Garden from 6 to 8 p.m. The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach hosts Salt Petal, Nick Valentini Collective, Dream Vacation and Niantic, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. the same evening.
Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach hosts a showcase, presented by World Arts, Friday, June 3, from 5 to 9 p.m., starring Gracie Gray, Marchan Noelle, Carlos Calvo and Frankie Bourne.
Hoist the Colors headlines the Standing Room Showcase in Hermosa Beach Saturday, June 4, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with Braeves, Foxtrax and Short Stories also performing.
A Music Pass is available for $75 that allows access to all music related films (about six in total), music showcases, panels and music–related receptions. A pass holder also receives complimentary wine and beer from sponsors during the happy hours in the Hospitality Suite at the Hermosa Community Center.
A music and film panel will also be offered that details how to get a song into a film or on television.
“It’s not as easy as you think,” Fitzgerald said. “There are roughly 10,000 independent films made a year now, almost all of those movies have music … where do they get their music? They’re not going to call up Universal Music and get Imagine Dragons.”
There are also plenty of networking opportunities.
“I’m going to have each of the musicians contribute one of their tracks and do a compilation CD,” Fitzgerald said. “That CD will be given to all the filmmakers and industry professionals that come through so that they can potentially be licensing some music.”
South Bay Sessions
South Bay Sessions takes place June 4 and 5. Each session highlights a “technology driven idea, project or company, that promotes social consciousness.” Four sessions, which will include tech demonstrations, will focus on the four categories including food/nutrition; environment/water/community resources: artistic expression/media impact; education/literacy/digital citizenship.
Working with the city
The festival’s founding partners include the City of Hermosa Beach and the Hermosa Beach Arts Foundation, which both contributed $15,000 to the founding of SBFF, under the umbrella of the Hermosa Cinema Society. The festival has had an ongoing presence in the community since last year with monthly screenings at the Hermosa Community Center.
Hermosa is the heart of the festival as Fitzgerald sees its expansion over the first several years. Fitzgerald was brought in as the film festival’s executive director after more than 20 years of directing numerous film festivals, including American Film Institute Fest, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, as well as being a co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival.
Fitzgerald, who grew up in the South Bay, said bringing the festival to his hometown makes it “more special” than other film festivities he’s worked for in the past, even with the long hours. And being a “start-up” there’s little budget.
“The fact that the community really wants this, makes it that much more rewarding for me because I know I’m bringing something to this community that they really embrace,” he said.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — MAY 18, 2016, WASHINGTON, DC — The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the AFI DOCS 2016 festival sponsors. AT&T returns this year as Presenting Sponsor, which represents the top level of support.
Support for the festival comes from a wide range of major companies, cultural institutions, foundations, philanthropists and government agencies. The 14th edition of AFI DOCS will run June 22–26, 2016, in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, Maryland.
“AT&T’s passion to mobilize the world allows AFI DOCS to bring together global audiences, impassioned storytellers and influential policy leaders in a manner worthy,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “We are grateful to all of our sponsors for their dedication to the festival and its vital location in the heart of the nation’s capital, where documentaries can truly effect change.”
AT&T will host the Opening Night Gala at the Newseum. Also, an AT&T “It Can Wait” message warning against the dangers of distracted driving will play before each festival film. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NBCUniversal and VIZIO return as Official Sponsors of the festival. American Airlines returns as the official airline of AFI. VIZIO will also be the festival’s Closing Night Sponsor and will generously outfit the AFI DOCS Festival Hub with the company’s latest home theater equipment and technology.
Screen Sponsors are Discovery Communications, HBO and Netflix.
Major Sponsors include the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, returning this year; BRICKTOWN; Catapult Film Fund; CrossCurrents Foundation; CYM Media & Entertainment; DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment; the Fledgling Fund; Google; and the Maryland Film Office. Harbers Studios joins the festival this year as a Major Sponsor and will also sponsor the short film programs at AFI DOCS, including screenings and Filmmaker Forum sessions.
Contributing Sponsors are Amtrak, Downtown Silver Spring and the International Documentary Association.
Also joining as a Contributing Sponsor, IFC’s comedy series DOCUMENTARY NOW!, which pays loving homage to documentaries, will host a special event on June 23 at the Landmark Theatres Atlantic Plumbing Cinema, with a six-theater presentation of iconic episodes of the show.
Official Media Sponsors include Here TV, Screen International, Variety, The Wall Street Journal, WAMU 88.5 FM and WHUT-TV. Affiliate Media Sponsors include Outfront Media and WTOP 103.5 FM.
The Newseum, AFI DOCS’ Official Gala Screening Sponsor located on historic Pennsylvania Avenue between the United States Capitol and the White House, will also host this year’s Closing Night Gala, Spotlight Screenings and the AFI DOCS Charles Guggenheim Symposium and Screening with Werner Herzog.
In addition to supporting AFI DOCS film programming and festival events, sponsors provide services to filmmakers and festival attendees throughout the week. Participation ranges from sponsoring specific film screenings and receptions to outfitting venues with technology infrastructure and creating event spaces. Sponsors also participate in national and local promotion of the festival.
2016 AFI DOCS SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsor: AT&T
Official Sponsors: American Airlines (official airline of AFI), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NBCUniversal, VIZIO (official home theater sponsor of AFI)
Screen Sponsors: Discovery Communications, HBO and Netflix
Major Sponsors: The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands; BRICKTOWN; Catapult Film Fund; CrossCurrents Foundation; CYM Media & Entertainment; DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment; the Fledgling Fund; Google; Harbers Studios; the Maryland Film Office
Contributing Sponsors: Amtrak, Anonymous, DOCUMENTARY NOW!, Downtown Silver Spring, International Documentary Association
Supporting Sponsor: Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce
Cultural Sponsors: Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Danish Film Institute, Embassy of Israel, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, General Representative of the Government of Flanders to the USA
Official Media Sponsors: Here TV, Screen International, Variety, The Wall Street Journal, WAMU 88.5 FM, WHUT-TV
Affiliate Media Sponsors: Outfront Media, WTOP 103.5 FM
Official Gala Screening Sponsor: The Newseum
Official Hotels: Hotel George, Hotel Monaco
Generous Individual Support Provided By:
Major Festival Underwriter: Mary Jo Greenberg
Official Festival Underwriters: Michael C. Donaldson, Grace Guggenheim, John and Rachel King, Sally and Tod MacKenzie
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.
*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.
About AFI DOCS
AFI DOCS is the American Film Institute’s annual documentary festival in the Washington, DC area. Presenting the year’s best documentaries, AFI DOCS is the premier festival in the U.S. dedicated to screenings and events that connect audiences, filmmakers and policy leaders in the seat of our nation’s government. The AFI DOCS advisory board includes Ken Burns, Davis Guggenheim, Chris Hegedus, Werner Herzog, Rory Kennedy, Barbara Kopple, Spike Lee, Errol Morris, Stanley Nelson, D A Pennebaker, Agnès Varda and Frederick Wiseman. Now in its 14th year, the festival will be held June 22–26, 2016 in landmark Washington, DC venues and the historic AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. Visit AFI.com/afidocs and connect on twitter.com/afidocs, facebook.com/afidocs and youtube.com/AFI.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is America’s promise to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive, which preserve film heritage for future generations; the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film; AFI AWARDS, honoring the most outstanding movies and TV series of the year; AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists, which have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers; year-round and special event exhibition through AFI FEST presented by Audi, AFI DOCS and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; and educating the next generation of storytellers at the world-renowned AFI Conservatory. For more information about AFI, visit AFI.com or connect with AFI at twitter.com/AmericanFilm, facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute and youtube.com/AFI.
After Spring the outstanding new documentary feature film from Executive Producer Jon Stewart will have its DC premiere at the AFI Docs film festival on June 23 and 24. After Spring is directed by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez who are the recipients of a MacArthur Foundation Award.
With the Syrian conflict now in its sixth year, millions of people continue to be displaced. This is the story of what happens next. By following two refugee families in transition and aid workers fighting to keep the camp running, viewers will experience what it is like to live in Zaatari, the largest camp for Syrian refugees. With no end in sight for the conflict or this refugee crisis, everyone must decide if they can rebuild their lives in a place that was never meant to be permanent.
Underscoring the timeliness of the film, the Washington, DC debut coincides with World Refugee Day which is on June 20th. The Syrian conflict has displaced over 10 million people according to the United Nations.
The film tells the moving, personal, and inspiring stories of Syrian refugees and aid workers at the largest refugee camp for Syrians, the Zaatari Refugee Camp which is home to 80,000 people and is now considered the fourth largest city in Jordan. Over half of the camp’s population is under 18 years old and over 5,000 babies have been born in the camp since it opened in July 2012.
Filmmakers’ Statement:
“Our goal was to put a human face to the Syrian refugee crisis. Although many news crews have visited Zaatari we had the opportunity to spend months at the camp, uncovering stories never seen before. We believe our film can offer the unique perspective of humanitarians in the field and the Syrians themselves whose voices are so rarely heard.”
Filmmakers’ Bios:
Steph Ching, Director/Producer, was Associate Producer and Additional Editor on the Emmy Nominated documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. Other passions include volunteer work, she participated in relief efforts during post-hurricane Katrina and made several trips to Sichuan, China to film testimonies with survivors of the 2008 earthquake. Her grandmother was a refugee in China before finally making her way to the United States.
Ellen Martinez, Director/Producer, was Associate Producer on Tested, a feature documentary about educational inequality in the NYC public school system. She was Directors Assistant and has worked in the A.D. and Production Departments for various films in NYC. Ellen has spent over 8 years in the Middle East and lived in Damascus, Syria for four years.
“I remember seeing the original footage Steph and Ellen had shot, and being so impressed with their work, and thinking we had to figure out a way to get them back into Zaatari to complete the project. They found a way to tell the story of the camp, to provide some context for the families’ stories in a beautiful, real and unobtrusive way that is particularly moving and urgent.” – Jon Stewart, Executive Producer
Public Screenings of After Spring at AFI Docs
Thursday, June 23 at 1:30 PM
at Landmark’s E Street Cinema – Washington, DC
Friday, June 24 at 4:15 PM
at AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center – Silver Spring, MD
(Source: Press materials provided by Adam Segal / The 2050 Publicity Group)
The AFI DOCS Interview: MAYA ANGELOU: AND STILL I RISE Directors Bob Hercules & Rita Coburn Whack
May 16, 2016
Co-directors Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack present a lovingly crafted and stunningly comprehensive portrait of the esteemed Dr. Maya Angelou with MAYA ANGELOU: AND STILL I RISE. The incredible story is told by Angelou herself, along with a remarkable cast of contemporaries from her careers as actress, writer, poet and activist. In chronicling Angelou’s life from her youth in the Depression-era South through her rise to international prominence, the film is a vital document about the importance of grace, dignity and the quest for the peace.
What is art and how does it relate to society? Is its value determined by its popularity or originality? Is the goal profit or expressing one’s personal vision? These are some of the questions raised as we follow fiercely independent New York artist Robert Cenedella in his artistic journey through decades of struggling for creative expression.
A student, protégé and friend of German artist George Grosz, Cenedella is now passing on the legacy of Grosz’s approach to art, in the very same room where Grosz taught. In portraying Cenedella’s determination to buck the system of what’s popular while critiquing that popularity in his attempt to turn the art world upside down, ART BASTARD is a funny, touching, and insightful look inside the maverick mind of a true original.– Written by Art Bastard
Soon to be released CAVU Pictures’ new documentary ART BASTARD starring Robert Cenedella! The film will open in New York on June 3 at the Angelika Film Center and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, in Los Angeles on June 17 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica and in Orange County on June 24 at the Edwards University Town Center 6 in Irvine, followed by a national release.
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is pleased to announce that it will be highlighting the work of two iconic directors: Mamoru HOSODAand Shunji IWAI at the 29th TIFF, running October 25 – November 3, 2016.
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This year’s Animation Focus will shine a spotlight on Mamoru HOSODA, the brilliantly inventive director whose Summer Wars (09) and Wolf Children (12) were local and international hits, and whose latest masterpiece, The Boy and the Beast (15), became the highest-grossing local film at the Japanese box office in 2015, as well as being distributed in nearly 50 territories overseas. Hosoda’s universal themes and storytelling genius have attracted all-age audiences worldwide and his devoted fan base continues to expand with each exhilarating new release.
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In TIFF’s Japan Now section, following his recent experiences in Hollywood and in animation, the Director in Focus will be internationally acclaimed creator Shunji IWAI, whose groundbreaking style and youth-focused vision are known as the “Iwai Aesthetic.” From Love Letter (95), which put him on the world stage, through the enduringly acclaimed All About Lily Chou-Chou (01) and Hana and Alice (04), to his latest masterpiece, A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (16), Iwai’s films have continued to be in a class all their own, each a mesmerizing work of transcendent power, applauded across the globe by fans and critics alike.
The 29th TIFF will take place from October 25 – November 3, 2016 at Roppongi Hills and other venues in Tokyo.
(Source: Press release provided by TIFF Public Relations Division)
I will be analyzing the three films, Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1957), and Ran (1985), in relation to how these Akira Kurosawa films represent men and their relationship to social structures, and to violence in reference to historical truth and to socio-economic realities. In Rashomon, Kurosawa breaks the traditional narrative mold of his earlier films with Arthouse Cinema depicting a murder of a samurai and the rape of his Lady by a bandit. The samurai is depicted as a clean cut, upright guardian as he walks carrying the reigns of the horse that his properly attired Japanese Lady rides upon in traditional ruling class attire complete with hat and facial netting protecting her delicate, porcelain-like skin from the harmful rays of the sun. The bandit, on the other hand, is dressed with tattered garb, no shirt, unshaven and a general unkempt appearance and he is frequently swatting and defending himself from the attention of big flies evidenced by his scratching and swatting at the loud buzzing of the flies. As the samurai and the Lady make their way through the woods, the bandit slowly watches like a snake watching his prey. Eventually, the bandit confronts the samurai in broad-action, sword dueling scenes and in hand to hand combats as daggers are brandished and eventually the bandit subdues the samurai and forcefully takes the Lady’s honor. (People: Akira Kurasawa)
The men this film is focusing on are men that take care of the weaker sexed women and use violence to get what they want and need. (Prince) The use of violence to protect the weak and to get what is wanted will be seen again and again in Seven Samurai, in Ran, as well as in the remainder of Rashomon, as four varying versions of the same crime are presented with one version containing a hidden secret. In my opinion, this film is a reflection of Japanese society in 1950. The Japanese samurai has been killed as democratization is the driving force behind the new society and that the new culture is at risk of becoming a society of thieves and bandits. (People: Akira Kurasawa)
Americanization has been taking place with a new constitution being implemented. Furthermore, the Japanese “sword,” the army, has been removed. It is my belief the four versions represent varying perspectives on WWII. Yet, by the end of Rashomon, an acceptance of the past has taken place and hope for the future is being put forth symbolized by the wood cutter’s willingness to trade the valuable, pearl-handled dagger he kept for himself, in return for the safety and well-being of the newborn. (Prince, The Warrior’s Camera: The cinema of Akira Kurosawa) This, in my opinion, is Kurosawa showing through the woodcutter’s action that there is there is hope for the future of Japan without the weapons of the samurai and the army.
With the 1955 film Seven Samurai, ten years have passed since the end of WWII. Japan is struggling to find it’s own identity. For the most part, Japanese society has all but turned its back on the samurai way and is leaning heavily toward a full embrace of Western ideals and economics. Kurosawa sees the ideals of the samurai as a way for Japan to embrace the past taking the strong, good ideals of the legendary samurai and reinventing the samurai as a present day, or contemporary figure as he fears Japan is losing its identity. (People: Akira Kurasawa) The film opens with the bandits coming to rob the peasant farmers of their grain and barley. The peasants can’t defend themselves and fear for their survival. They decide to hire a samurai to protect and help defend them from the marauding bandits. Interestingly, Kurosawa depicts the first samurai as out of work true to a struggling contemporary Japanese economy. The samurai prepares himself as a priest and rescues a baby from a crazed kidnapper. The kidnapper is impaled by a sword and stumbling from the hut and in slow-motion drops dead to the ground. The samurai emerges and holds the baby aloft. The samurai uses violence to protect and safeguard the baby. I believe Kurosawa uses the baby again here in Seven Samurai, as he did in Rashomon, to foreshadow a hopeful future for Japan.
The men in Seven Samurai, are distinctly drawn into two classes, the upper class samurai and the peasant farmers and bandits. Kurosawa depicts the samurai living almost exclusively by a code of loyalty, duty responsibility and honor. He embodies these men as transcending selfishness and individualism, sacrificing themselves to protect the peasants. In addition, he includes a peasant who was not born into the samurai class as the possibility of social mobility in post WWII Japanese society and through the samurai and the hard work, sense of duty and fighting loyalty of the peasants victory is possible. Kurosawa uses violence as abstract realism. The fight scenes are very physical, very kinetic. His use of the long lens and camera angles draws the viewer’s eye in and creates a very contemporary feel. (Giddens) Furthermore, in the final scenes, Kurosawa is linking the ideals of the samurai at the film’s end with the buried samurai on the hillside with the future of Japan. As Japan is struggling to find its identity Kurosawa is showing them a way through the abyss- the dirty, muddy fight scenes – through the surviving samurai tradition of loyalty, self-sacrifice and sense of duty. In the closing moments of Seven Samurai, the surviving samurai agree that they survived and that the peasant farmer’s are the ones who have won. Kurosawa is saying that the Japanese can have a better future if they are willing to reach for it and work for it.
With his final epic film, the Shakespearean Japanese interpretive, Ran, based on “King Lear,” Kurosawa has pulled away from such overt optimism of Seven Samurai, and the darker themes from his earlier Shakespearean Japanese interpretive, Throne of Blood, based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” have taken hold. Kurosawa sees his government taking sides with huge corporations at the expense of the Japanese people. A truly authentic Japanese identity post WWII is becoming very difficult. Kurosawa has for all intents and purposes lost faith in the Japanese government and it’s chance at a more hopeful, authentic Japan based on the ideals of the samurai society. Kurosawa has seen the Japanese samurai ideals subverted almost entirely into the corporation. (Nolletti) His film Ran, (1965) is a white flag to the winds of fate – the lost hope of an independent, authentic Japan. (IMDB: Akira Kurosawa) The sons of Lord Hidetora are, in my opinion, representative of the sons of Japan after WWII. Not to be content with their individual kingdoms, each is driven to conquer, capture and unify the people by a woman, Lady Kaede who is hell bent on revenging her family’s demise at the hand of Lord Hidetora years earlier. A case can be made Japan had come full circle from the civil warring era that Kurosawa sets these films, with serfdoms battling one another and samurais waging the battles for the lord of the serfdom, much like the warriors that served the three castles and the Lord of each castle to the economic juggernaut that Japan became in the 1970’s and early 1980’s following WWII. (Prince, “Remaking Kurosawa: Translations and Permutations in Global Cinema”)
Seemingly, Kurosawa has thrown his hands up in the air with Ran, and has reached the conclusion that Japan is fated and his efforts to see his native country return to, or even evolve into, a strong, masculine state again will not be fulfilled. Japanese suffering is just the way the world works. Kurosawa conveys this with the image of a castle burning with horsemen rushing in and killing is everywhere. Moreover, the ending of Ran, depicts Taramaru on the top of his family’s burned out castle ruins. A drastic cut pull out gives appearance Taramaru is part of the ruin and poses the adage that Justice is blind. Seemingly, Kurosawa feels modern Japan, like, the Japan depicted in Ran, is being decided on the whims of a feminized bureaucracy attempting to avenge a humiliating defeat through the economic windfalls of hue corporations. Kurosawa’s films after this period moved into dreamlike states and fantasia.
The messages Kurosawa sets forth in these masterpieces are relevant today. Economically, Japan is struggling due to a global recession, a major earthquake and a resultant three-story tsunami (possibly fate) along with a nuclear release of radioactive material occurring at the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Notwithstanding, Japan as a culture, has succeeded in maintaining aspects of the samurai culture in its work ethic and in its value of loyalty. Nevertheless, as a nation, Japan did not invite the international community to participate in assessing and containing the nuclear spillage nor in rectifying the leakage from the Fukushima Daiichi reactor. As Kurosawa elegantly, and eloquently shows, the Japanese people are a people steeped in a strong, rich and powerful tradition. One can only hope that when they need to, they ask for help in overcoming an adversary to ensure the health and survival of its people despite class differences. In closing, I believe Japan still looks to the West before it charts its course for the future – much like Kurosawa’s western genre influence in these films. And despite the great film director’s dismay, the Japanese people and the strong ideals of the samurai remain vibrant, alive as they work, struggle and fight for a better future.
Works Cited
Prince, Stephen. The Warrior’s Camera: The cinema of Akira Kurosawa. Princeton University Press, 1999.
Giddens, Gary. Kurosawa in Action. 22 July 2015 .
Nolletti, Arthur. “”Perspectives on Kurosawa”.” Film Quarterly Summer 1996: 52-54.
Prince, Stephen. “”Remaking Kurosawa: Translations and Permutations in Global Cinema”.” The Journal of Japanese Studies 37.1 (2011): 229-233.
People: Akira Kurasawa. 19 July 2015 .
IMDB: Akira Kurosawa. 18 July 2015 .
