Dr. Akagi / After Life

[Christopher & Jennifer Beckett]

Hello -

Friday I attended screenings of Imamura's latest "Dr. Akagi" and Kore-Eda's
new one "After Life" at the Toronto film festival. I enjoyed both films
very much and was wondering if I has missed any discussions of either
titles on this list in the past. I overheard something about Donald Richie
including "After Life" in a prestigious project about Japanese film history
after the screening - does anyone know anything about this?

DR. AKAGI was a surprise from Imamura. It is as eccentric and ecelctic a
film as I've seen in a long time. It's the most straightforwardly
entertaining Imamura I've yet to see (I'd estimate I've seen 50% of his
features), with very conventional rhythms at times, but some absolutely
wild and unexpected moments, especially an episode involving a blue whale
near the conclusion. Any thoughts on this one?

Kore-Eda was in attendance at the AFTER LIFE screening. It was an
absolutely marvellous film, not in the least a letdown from MABOROSI - and
probably the best film I've seen all year. After the film there was a Q&A
in which he discussed the genesis of the film - he sent five assistants
into "the field" to interview average people to ask them what the one
moment of their life they'd want to be the only one they could take with
them into eternity (the springboard for the film's premise). Apparently a
good number of the people in the film are amateurs, people whose answers so
captivated him that he wrote them into the film. One questioneer asked him
about the influence of LA JETEE (i guess because of the idea of one vivid
memory staying with an individual), DEFENDING YOUR LIFE (superficial
resemblance) and WINGS OF DESIRE on the film, but I was struck by the
resonance of IKIRU in one passage - the old man (named Watanabe, just as
Shimura was!) whose life hardly seemed to have been lived. In any case, a
beautiful and emotional film.

Christopher