self-introduction

[Jasper Sharp]

Welcome to the mailing list Janet.

Having grown up in Devon myself I appreciate the concern with the
availability of less populist cinema on video - a problem in Britain in
general. Even London only gets about 5 new Japanese films a year (mainly in
the Institute of Contemporary Arts). I think even the films of major
directors such as Juzo Itami (aside from his film 'Tampopo') get any sort of
theatrical or video release in the UK, and outside of the 'classic'
directors such as Ozu, Kurosawa, and Mizoguchi, current arthouse darlings
such as Takeshi Kitano, and a handful of Godzilla movies, Japanese cinema is
virtually unknown. 

It is ironic that my interest in Japanese film stemmed from moving to
Holland, where the video shops freely stock videos imported from the rest of
the Benelux countries, France and even Hong Kong (undoubtedly the widest
source of availability of current Japanese film). A far cry from
Blockbusters!

Regards 

Jasper Sharp

-----Original Message-----
From: J Rand [mailto:axis at freeuk.com]
Sent: Monday, May 29, 2000 10:32 AM
To: Kinejapan
Subject: self-introduction


I am a new subscriber to Kinejapan.  Currently I am undertaking a Masters
Degree at Exeter University in the History of Cinema and Popular Culture and
am writing my dissertation on Japanese cinema concentrating on the films of
Yasujiro Ozu.
 
As a single parent living on Dartmoor in Devon (beautiful but not very
multi-cultural) it has not always been easy to see alternative cinema to the
mainstream.  I have always had an interest in cinema that falls outside the
American realist mould and have found over the years that I have
particularly enjoyed the spatial quality and pacing in both Japanese and
Chinese films (that I have been able to view).  I did manage to attend the
Ozu retrospective at the National a couple of years ago which I really
enjoyed. When I have finished this degree I am hoping to continue to explore
the way in which Japanese cinema developed and has been marketed in this
country.
 
In my experience it is not easy to view any alternative cinema outside of
the art house theatres and it is the difficulties for this and the reasons
that I am looking into at the current time.
 
I am also trying to get hold of a copy of Ozu's An In in Tokyo with English
sub-titles - if anyone has any ideas I would be grateful.
 
Janet