Notes on politics, film and Japan

[John Dougill]

One can only sympathise with Joss Winn's problems and the cultural traits
which have caused them.  I would suggest the tendency to sweep
'unpleasantness' under the carpet is the darker side of maintaining
'harmony'.  Since Joss mentions being from the UK, he may be interested in
what happened in London to Colin Mason, recently of Kansai, who
reports......

     I was at one of a
     series of lecturea on "Orientalism" in London late last year which
     descended into chaos because of the emotions in that one. There was to
      be an academic discussion on the David Lean film "Bridge over the "
     River Kwai" - and a BBC documentary that had just been made of the
     true story. But it became hyper emotional owing to the presence of
     veteran eyewitnesses and labour camp survivors. Because it was at the
     School of Oriental and African Studies there were many Japanese in the
     room - they had real difficulty in understanding what the problems and
      issues were. Many people in the UK have the folk history of the Burma
      Railroad deeply embedded in our psyche - it is obvious to us what the
      issues are - the horror of the concept of one dead body per sleeper
     laid being acceptable and the numbers of Asian labourers and Allied
     pow's who were killed. Most Japanese do not even know the basic facts
      - so how can they begin to comprehend.

On the other hand, documentaries about Hiroshima are sure to win
understanding and a large audience.  Perhaps if Joss Winn showed these, he
might  find his contract mysteriously renewed and extended in this
case........but at the expense of his integrity, I would suggest.

Regards
John Dougill
Kyoto