<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Soda Kazuhiro's new film, Mental, is having its formal opening release starting this weekend at Image Forum. English subbed versions will be shown at the 7:00 screenings. Mental tours the country after that. (English info below.) <div><br></div><div>I caught the film at this year's Cinéma du Réal in Nyon, where it was well-received. I had a chance to talk at length with Soda-san about it afterwards. His early film, Election, was fun and very different. But with this film, Soda steps onto a well-worn path. It takes as its subject people suffering from serious depression, and their rather extraordinary doctor. There is something of a tradition of independent documentary on the handicapped in Japan. Some of the best indie documentary filmmakers have made such films, notably Yanagisawa Toshio, Tsuchimoto Noriaki, Hara Kazuo, and Sato Makoto. They made films that were deeply sympathetic to their subjects and that open us up to our own prejudices, as well as to out presumptions about their experience of the world. While he came out of television and the New York nonfiction scene, it's interesting that his conception of documentary is so close to that of his Japanese peers. He deeply identifies with the people in the film. In fact, his producer and wife, Kashiwagi Kiyoko, became so deeply invested in the people they were filming that it started depressing her as well. He has very interesting and inspiring stories to tell, and I'll bet his making-of book is well worth checking out. </div><div><br></div><div>If you haven't caught the film on the festival circuit, then certainly seek it out. This is a new documentary director worth keeping a close eye on. </div><div><br></div><div>Markus</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br>皆様<br><br>ドキュメンタリー映画『精神』（観察映画第２弾）が、いよいよ６月１３日（土）から、東京・渋谷のシアター・イメージフォーラムを皮切りに、日本全国で順次公開されます。１３日の東京初回（１０：４５AM）には「こらーる岡山診療所」の山本昌知先生も舞台挨拶に来られます。なお、当劇場では１日４回上映されますが、１９時の回では英語字幕付きの上映になります。<br><a href="http://www.imageforum.co.jp/theatre/">http://www.imageforum.co.jp/theatre/</a><br><br>全国的には、現時点で下記の劇場が決まっておりますが、今後どんどん増える予定です。最新の情報は公式ホームページでご覧下さい。★印のついている地域では、前売り券も売り出しております。<br><a href="http://www.laboratoryx.us/mentaljp/index.php">http://www.laboratoryx.us/mentaljp/index.php</a><br><br>北海道 札幌シアターキノ 6月27日(土)～7月3日（金)<br>北海道 苫小牧シネマ・トーラス 7月中旬<br>東京 シアター・イメージフォーラム ★ 6月13日（土）～<br>愛知 名古屋シネマテーク 夏<br>岐阜 大垣コロナシネマワールド 夏<br>石川 金沢シネモンド 6月20日（土）～7月10日（金）<br>大阪 第七藝術劇場 ★ 7月18日（土）～<br>京都 京都シネマ ★ 7月下旬<br>兵庫 神戸アートビレッジセンター★ 8月15日（土）～<br>岡山 シネマ・クレール ★ 7月18日（土）～<br>広島 横川シネマ 夏<br>福岡 シネテリエ天神 ★ 7月4日（土）～<br>沖縄 桜坂劇場 夏<br><br>また、『精神』の公開に合わせ、想田にとって初の著書『精神病とモザイク タブーの世界にカメラを向ける』（中央法規出版）も刊行されます。<br><br><a href="http://www.chuohoki.co.jp/products/new/curamental.html">http://www.chuohoki.co.jp/products/new/curamental.html</a><br><br>全国の書店や、アマゾン等のオンラインでも手に入ります。なお、本を通じて想田が受け取る収入（印税）の５０％は、岡山市内の地域での精神医療・福祉のために役立てていただくよう、寄付致します。<br><br>『精神』関連記事も、マスコミにどんどん出始めています。その情報は、ブログ等でアップデートしていきますので、ぜひチェックしてくださいね。<br><a href="http://documentary-campaign.blogspot.com/">http://documentary-campaign.blogspot.com/</a><br><br>それから、『選挙』の復活ロードショーも、ピーボディ賞受賞等を記念して、７月４日から東京・渋谷のライズXにて始まります。初日には主役の山内和彦さんも来られます！こちらの最新情報は、『選挙』公式サイト等でご覧下さいませ！<br><a href="http://www.laboratoryx.us/campaignjp/index.html">http://www.laboratoryx.us/campaignjp/index.html</a><br><br>今後ともどうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。<br><br>想田和弘 柏木規与子<br><br>----<br><br>Dear friends,<br><br>We're happy to announce that our feature documentary MENTAL will be released in theaters in Japan starting from Saturday, June 13th at the Theater Image Forum in Shibuya, Tokyo.<br><a href="http://www.imageforum.co.jp/theatre/">http://www.imageforum.co.jp/theatre/</a><br><br>At the Image Forum, there will be 4 screenings per day including the English subtitled version at 19:00.<br>On June 13th, Doctor Masatomo Yamamoto and I will greet the audience at the very first screening (10:45 AM).<br><br>It will be eventually released in other cities such as Okayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Gifu, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Okinawa - probably about 30 cities across the nation. Please check back our official website for details and updates.<br><a href="http://www.laboratoryx.us/mentaljp/index.php">http://www.laboratoryx.us/mentaljp/index.php</a><br><br>Soda's book about the making of MENTAL entitled "Seishin-byo to Mozaiku (Mental Illness and Mosaic)" will also come out this week (in Japanese - sorry!) . It will be Soda's very first book to publish. 50% of Soda's income through this book will be donated to activities to promote local mental health care in Okayama city.<br><a href="http://www.chuohoki.co.jp/products/new/curamental.html">http://www.chuohoki.co.jp/products/new/curamental.html</a><br><br>Copies will be available in book stores and websites such as Amazon.co.jp.<br><br>Many articles about MENTAL are coming out. Please check Soda's blog for updates.<br><a href="http://documentary-campaign.blogspot.com/">http://documentary-campaign.blogspot.com/</a><br><br>CAMPAIGN will also be re-released at Rise X in Shibuya, Tokyo, starting from July 4th, commemorating its acceptance of Peabody Award. Yama-san will greet the audience on the first day.<br><a href="http://www.laboratoryx.us/campaignjp/index.html">http://www.laboratoryx.us/campaignjp/index.html</a><br><br>Warmest regards,<br><br>Kazuhiro Soda & Kiyoko Kashiwagi<br>Laboratory X, Inc.<br></div></body></html>