Yasukuni (2007 film)

Infobox Film | name = Yasukuni (2007 Film)


image_size = 200px caption = Movie Poster
writer =
starring =
director = Li Ying
producer = Li Ying
distributor =
country = Japan
language = Japanese, with English subtitles
runtime = 120 min.
music =
website = http://www.yasukuni-movie.com/
imdb_id = 1073548

nihongo|Yasukuni|靖国 is the title of a 2007 film made by Japan-residentMayumi Saito, [http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200803150077.html Weekend Beat: Chinese filmmaker finds the swords of Yasukuni still sharp] , "Asahi Weekly", March 15, 2008, accessed April 02, 2008.] Chinese director Li Ying (traditional Chinese:李纓, simplified Chinese: 李缨, hanyupinyin: Lĭ Yīng). It took 10 years to complete and had been screened at the Pusan International Film Festival 2007, World Cinema Competition Sundance Film Festival 2008 and Berlin Film Festival 2008. It also won the best-documentary award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival [http://news.sg.msn.com/entertainment/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1320439 Japan govt, media groups concerned as shrine film pulled] , "Agence France-Presse", April 01, 2008, accessed April 02, 2008.] .

The 120-minute film looks at the history of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, where more than 2 million of Japan's war dead are enshrined. More than 1,000 of them are war criminals, including 14 Class-A war criminals, convicted at the 1946-1948 Tokyo tribunal, among them, Hideki Tojo. The film shows not only the well-reported political incidents associated with the shrine, but also takes an in-depth look at the shrine's sword-making tradition, the Yasukuni sword being the film's underlying motif. Serene footage of the last living Yasukuni swordsmith, 90-year-old Naoji Kariya, working on presumably his final creation, is interspersed with other scenes of chaos filmed at the site.

Li Ying stated that the film was a joint Asian project, noting that the cameraman was a Japanese with a relative enshrined in Yasukuni, and the editor was another Japanese. It also received 7.5 million yen from the Japan Arts Council in fiscal 2006 as a production subsidyTomoya Ishikawa, [http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200803280148.html Cover Story: Picture this] , "Asahi Shimbun", March 28, 2008, accessed April 2, 2008.] .

Despite the Japanese contribution to the film's production, this cinema has had some strong responses. The first was from Japanese right wing nationalists, who caused the initial screenings, planned for three cinemas in Tokyo and one in Osaka, to be dropped, with one of theatre operators, Humax Cinema Inc., citing safety concerns for its staff. The second was at a special preview on March 12, 2008 for Japanese legislators, arranged by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and initiated by a group of conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party members, who questioned the film's objectivity, which is required in order to receive a public subsidy . Those lawmakers, featuring Tomomi Inada, called for a boycott of the movie. ["Dancing with the Devil over Yasukuni", http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080408zg.html] The third was that this movie is questioned about infringement on portrait rights of Naoji Kariya [Kouch Shinbun 2008-04-10"] [Mainichi Shinbun 2008-04-11] [Sankei Shinbun 2008-04-11] and Yasukuni shrine [ [http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/img/1209112921.pdf Content-certified mail of Yasukuni shrine to its film company] Yasukuni shrine HP] , and they bore testimony about it. Nevertheless, this picture hit the screen with their scene.

The Directors Guild of Japan expressed apprehension about possible infringement of freedom of expression and as a result of the politicians' protests, only about 10 theaters will screen the movie while none in Tokyo. ["More than 10 cinemas will screen Yasukuni", http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080405a1.html, "No Tokyo theater will show Yasukuni film", http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080401f1.html]

On April 3, 2008, a report from AFP indicated that some regional cinemas in Japan would go ahead with screening the film, defying pressures from the nationalists. The Seventh Art Theatre in western Osaka planned to screen the film in May. The report did not identify the two cinema operators from Kyoto and Hiroshima which were mentioned as also planning to screen the same [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080403/ennew_afp/entertainmentjapanchinawwiifilm_080403100124 Some Japanese cinemas to show 'Yasukuni' film] , "Agence France-Presse", April 3, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008.] .

The film finally debuted to the public in Japan on May 3, 2008 in Tokyo amidst tight police security. The sold-out screening was described by the president of Argo pictures, Yutada Okada, as safe and smooth. Movie-goers queued two hours before the first show. Feedback reported from the audience has been positive, describing the film as being objective and anti-war, as well as enlightening Japanese citizens about the shrine itself. [http://news.sg.msn.com/entertainment/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1370476 War shrine film opens in Tokyo amid tight security] , "Agence France-Presse", May 3, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.yasukuni-movie.com/ Official Website]
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