Naomi Kawase - impressions

[Aaron Gerow]

Thanks to Pier Maria and Giacomo for continuing the discussion (and don't 
worry about your English! This is an international list with many 
languages--and many Englishes--permissible.)

I must agree with Pier Maria on the need to be a bit more critical in our 
discussion of Kawase. This is not because of particular problems with 
Kawase, but rather because a good critical perception is necessary when 
looking at any filmmaker. While I like Naomi's work a lot, I do have some 
problems with some films and I have told her so directly. My article for 
the catalog also notes some of the criticisms of her work in Japan.

In fact, the criticism of her work is one worthy topic of discussion. For 
instance, even Kawase herself at the festival, when talking with Roberta 
and myself, emphasized two points that should not be forgotten. First, 
that she herself is not satisfied with some of her films. Suzaku, for 
instance, rates only a "20" out of 100 on her own scale, and it was in 
part her dissatisfaction with that work which lead to the making of the 
Weald. Second, she feels there are basically two kinds of audiences for 
her films, who look at them quite differently. One are those people, 
mostly in Japan, who saw her 8mm work before Suzaku. The other is the 
audience which was introduced to her work through Suzaku. The former can 
tend to be critical of her later work (I have one film colleague who 
loves her 8mm work, thinks White Moon/Shiroi tsuki is her masterpiece, 
and dislikes everything after that). Timewise, I obviously fit in the 
former camp, though I am much more open to--though sometimes critical 
of--her later work. (But still I think White Moon deserves much more 
attention.)

I don't want to pull rank and argue either one of these positions are 
more correct. But it would be interesting sometime to get together and 
discuss these differences. As I have noted before, there have been 
differences in reception to her work--particularly between Japan and 
Europe--that I find curious and worthy of discussion.

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