Eureka awards at Cannes

[Aaron Gerow]

>My point is that there is a very insular kisha club mentality
>among much of the Japanese press at Cannes, and the
>hype tends to get pretty thick and self-serving--and often unrealistic.

Greg,

And your point is correct.  I am glad you noted the walkouts because the 
articles I saw, in Japanese, English, and French, did not report them.  
Someday I have to ask Aoyama about them.

The fact that the Japanese press reported the opposite is telling.  As is 
the case with film criticism here in general, few professional 
critics/reporters, especially from the newspapers, take a critical (one 
could say realistic) stance towards Japanese films, perhaps from the 
mistaken impression that Japanese films need support, but more likely 
from the fact that criticism and film reporting in general is often just 
an extension of release publicity.  That only bolsters the kisha club 
mentality you mention. 

That said, one still feels thankful when there's any reporting on 
Japanese films at all: many publications and critics ignore the Japanese 
product altogether.

Aaron Gerow
Associate Professor
International Student Center
Yokohama National University
79-1 Tokiwadai
Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
JAPAN
E-mail: gerow at ynu.ac.jp
Phone: 81-45-339-3170
Fax: 81-45-339-3171