On the subject of Rotterdam...

[Don Brown]

> >Another festival favourite was Naomi Kawase's HOTARU. I heard that this 
was
> >not particularly well received by the Japanese critics (it has been 
released
> >in Japan already hasn't it? The director told me it was coming out in 
March,
> >whereas other people gave me the impression it was already out), though 
I
> >found it to be very emotionally powerful, if a little overlong.
>
>It has not been released in Japan since it, as with the other J Works
>movies, was co-produced by Teatoru Shinjuku, which has rights on
>releasing it.  Eureka ended up being delayed by Kao, and Hotaru will show
>after Eureka, but it's not certain when that will end.

The trailer for Hotaru is currently playing before Inugami and Otogirisou 
(at Virgin Cinemas at least).  I was almost tricked into thinking it was a 
sequel to "Poppoya", with its wintery landscapes and grizzled old Takakura 
Ken to the fore.  The actual content of the film remains a mystery though, 
as all the viewer had to go on was some very trite generic tag-line copy.  
The trailer advertised Hotaru's release as early summer.  
Don Brown
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