Yet more on Shinozaki

Jonathan Mark Hall jmhall
Tue Sep 1 15:58:11 EDT 1998


Dear Kine-Japanners:

It seems like the discussion on Okaeri and on Shinozaki has tapered off,
but as an afternote, let me add the following.

I don't think it has been mentioned that Shinozaki is also the director of
RUSUBAN BIDEO, (ET:"Nobody at Home").  It is an amusing, creepy little
short that narrates a delightful tale of murder and the impersonality of
answering machines.  Although it's quite a few years old, I believe it was
selected for Rotterdam's festival this year, or at least it was in the
running.

In addition to a swank mini-book in Japanese, there does exist a
less-exciting 12-page English-language brochure on Shinozaki's Okaeri
including story information as well as profiles on the director and DOP
etc.  The contact address listed in the brochure (from which I assume one
could request a copy) is:

Bitter Ends, Inc.
306 Shibuya Sunny Hill
14-5 Sakuragaoka-cho
Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150 JAPAN
tel: 81-3-3462-0345
fax: 81-3-3462-0621

Although I had some difficulty swallowing the manner in gendered questions
of labor were raised only to be papered over by the "curative" effect of
illness, I was impressed with the largely understated representation of
madness, a really break with its representation in much of Japanese film to
date. I saw OKAERI at a special screening two years ago sponsored by the
Kanagawa Pref. Association for Sufferers of Mental Illness.  The film was
well-received by the audience, and the comments in the Q&A aftwerwards
suggested that the audience found its realities 'accurately' portrayed on
the screen.  I can remember being impressed by Shinozaki's camera, and
while I can't remember too well now, I think it was his combination of
zoom, long shots, and a retreating camera.  (But this sounds too akin to
Vertigo?!)

Jonathan Hall





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