Koichi Saito

[Aaron Gerow]

>
> A few questions about filmmaker Koichi Saito:
> ?
> 1) Am I right in thinking him to be still alive? I have no data to 
> suggest the contrary.

The Japanese Wikipedia lists him as still alive.
> ?
> 2) Is his Aoi Sanmyaku 88, as its name suggests, an updated version of 
> the Tadashi Imai 1949 film? How much does it differ from the original?

I have not seen it, but the JMDB lists it as a remake of the previous 
films with the same original story.
> ?
> 3) His recent-ish film, Mission Barabba, appears to have both Japanese 
> and Korean actors and dialogue in both languages. Was it therefore a 
> co-production? And was is set in Japan, or Korea, or both?

They advertised this at my son's Christian nursery school (it's based 
on a true story of a Japanese crime boss who gets religion). Yes, it is 
an international co-production with some scenes shot in Korea. I 
haven't seen it though....

Aaron Gerow
KineJapan owner

Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University

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