Kawase and "Suzaku"

[Birgit Kellner]

I've just watched a WOWOW-documentary on recent Japanese cinema,
produced in the wake of all the awards recently won by Japanese films at
festivals abroad. Kawase Naomi's "suzaku" was featured quite
prominently, and Kawase herself briefly explained her approach to
filmmaking. As my Japanese is only maamaa, I thought I'd ask the
Kawase-experts on this list whether my following impression is correct:
For Kawase, films and media are a reality only to be mistrusted. The
only trustworthy type of reality, that which possesses a hundred percent
of reliability, is what happens right before one's eyes. It is this
immediate and trustworthy reality which she wants to transform into and
relate through films. 

I must confess that I have not seen "Suzaku" yet, nor have I read any
in-depth reviews of Kawase's work. But if the above impression is indeed
correct, it seems to me quite naive and even self-contradictory. For in
the end, Kawase would end up producing exactly that reality which she
herself dismisses as unreliable and (so is my understanding) false - or
not?

Any comments, hints etc. appreciated (as always), 



-- 
Birgit Kellner
Department for Indian Philosophy
Hiroshima University