geki eiga vs. bunka eiga?

[Chris Howell-Little]

Being intrigued by the question of "bunka eiga", I googled around and came
up with this article by Komatsu Hiroshi:

http://www.city.yamagata.yamagata.jp/yidff/docbox/5/box5-1-e.html

And here's part of the first paragraph:

"Most people today possess a vague image regarding "documentary cinema"
(called, in Japanese, "kiroku eiga," or "record cinema"). That term was
first widely used in Japan after the war; in the prewar, the expression
"bunka eiga," a translation from the German "Kulturfilm," was the more
popular term. Both expressions basically referred to the same film form
and content: documentary film and bunka eiga were generally considered
modes which, in opposition to the constructed narrative of dramatic film
performed by actors, transmitted truth and reality - while still bearing
the filmmaker's artistic originality, unlike newsreel cinema..."

I'm not sure that this is of any use, as I'm no expert on anything really
(except maybe "google"-ing), but I thought I would toss it out there
anyway.

Goodluck :)

-Chris



On Thu, 27 Jun 2002, Akiko Takenaka-O'Brien wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm a perpetual lurker and a Ph.D. candidate at Yale University writing a
> dissertation on wartime Japanese culture. I am currently looking at war
> related newsreels from the 1930s, and came across a description like this:
> newsreels were usually shown with "geki eiga," or by itself at "nyusu
> eigakan," but were occasionally shown with "bunka eiga" at places such as
> Shochiku Bunka Eiga Gekijo. (from an essay by Takeyama Akiko in _Senjiki
> Nihon no media ibento_). Am I correct in assuming that "geki eiga" is
> fiction/drama movies and "bunka eiga" is documentary type? What kind of
> films were shown at the Shochiku Bunka Eiga Gekijo?
> Any thoughts appreciated.
> thanks,
> Akiko
>
>