Nobuhiro Yamashita Interview Help

Blake Ethridge blake at cinemastrikesback.com
Tue May 8 23:44:06 EDT 2007


Hi all I'm Blake and a huge fan of Japanese cinema and new to this group.
I also formed a very similar e-mail group but for film festival die hards
like myself (recently attended BIFFF, Nippon Connection and Udine) called
Film Fest Mafia. I do online film press with Cinema Strikes Back and am a
huge film memorabilia collector (many of the images I've restored I have
posted online). The biggest memorabilia item from Japan I own is an
original Lady Snowblood lobbycard set. You might have seen my recent
interview with Sabu here: http://www.cinemastrikesback.com/?p=1568

Right now I'm finishing up an interview with Nobuhiro Yamashita (Linda
Linda Linda). In one section of transcribing I can't for the life of me
figure out the Japanese filmmaker he is talking about. The name sounds
like something Watanbe. I'm not familiar at all with his work. If the
below question triggers any memory I would greatly be appreciated for
anyone that can figure out who he is referring to.

-----------------------------------------------------
Do you have any personal favorite film that you feel is under appreciated
and that people should rush out and see?

There is a filmmaker named Fumio? Watanabe. He has his own projector and
only goes to local culture centers and not in theatres. Very local and
small cultural centers and that’s what he does. The films that he shoots
and screens is maybe too much propaganda. What he does in terms of getting
his film out there is very interesting and inspiring for other filmmakers
in terms of getting the word out. It’s very scandalous somewhat with the
amount of propaganda and he gets arrested and fights with right wing
group. What he does is very true to what he believes and I think that is
very cool.
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Blake


pspsps - Of late the film that has had the biggest impact on me is the
Sogo Ishii film Crazy Thunder Road. I saw an absolutely incredible print
of it at the recent 25th BIFFF in Brussels, Belgium (burned in English
subtitles). I had heard this film was some sort of student project so I
was completely unprepared for the complete all out last day alive type
filmmaking on display in the film. Perhaps every narrative thread doesn't
add up but the creativity and passion on display goes miles for me in
admiration. I had goose bumps throughout experiencing most of the film.


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