What's in a name

[Mark Anderson]

Dear Roland,
At a presentation at the Guthrie Museum in Minneapolis a couple of years
ago, Koreeda related that the U.S. distributors were fearful of having the
film confused with Frank Capra's, "It's a Wonderful Life", and Koreeda was
persuaded to take them at their word and approve an alternative title for
the English language market. He suggested that the decision was driven
solely by a concern for potential misunderstanding on part of American
viewers and programmers. He prefers the original title himself.

Mark Anderson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland Domenig" <roland.domenig at univie.ac.at>
To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: What's in a name


> > First up, why is EMBRACING's original title "Ni tsutsumarete".
> > Isn't this the verb "tsutsumu" (to wrap, veil) with the particle marker
stuck
> > in front, rather than behind? Any particular reason for this word play,
if it
> > is indeed word play?
> this is not a wordplay, but the passive form of tsutsumu (wrap/conceil) =
> tsutsumareru. "Ni tsutsumarerte" thus is "to be wrapped up in" "be
conceiled
> in"  "be enveloped by".
>
> > And why is the second documentary title, about her grandmother, mispelt
as
> > KATATSUMORI as opposed to KATATSUMURI? (I assume she's talking about
snails)
> this indeed is a wordplay with katatsumuri (snail) and tsumori (intend).
> when she was young naomi believed that slugs are snails  without a house
but
> that intend to have one (ie o motta tsumori).
>
> but speaking of titles. does anyone know why the english title of
koreeda's
> WANDAFURU RAIFU was changed into AFTER LIFE?
>
>
> roland domenig
> institute of east asian studies
> vienna university
>
>
>