Japanese-German film relations

[Jasper Sharp]

Dear Andreas,

Someone else just contacted me a while back with this very same question.
I think the film you mention was Cherry Blossoms (Doris Dörrie, 2008).

Another title you might be interested in is The Red Spot (Der Rote Punkt) directed by Marie Miyayama from around the same time. We screened it at Shinsedai in Toronto this year:
http://shinsedai-fest.com/films/the-red-spot-der-rote-punkt/

Sogo Ishii directed the unorthodox live concert film Half Human featuring the German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, which I think might be an interesting  addition to your programme.

Two other older titles that immediately spring to mind at the German-Japanese co-production Die Frau Mit Dem Roten Hut / Woman with a Red Hat / Akai boshi no onna, directed by Tatsumi Kumashiro and produced by Koji Wakamatsu back in 1982. I don't really have any idea how you could get hold of a print of this, if any exist any more. Its a similar attempt to doing what Oshima an Daumann did in France with Ai no Korrida, although not as successfully, nor as pornographically.
you can find details here: http://www.citwf.com/film122530.htm, or more fully in my book Behind the Pink Curtain.

On the subject of pink films, there's also the upcoming Rapid Eye Movies production of Underwater Love, directed by Shinji Imaoka, which should be ready early next year in time for your season.

And finally, for now, there's the first ever such co-production, Die Tochter des Samurai, starring Setsuko Hara and Sessue Hayakawa, and directed by Arnold Fanck/Mansaku Itami, released in 1937. There's actually a DVD of this film out in Germany, though none sadly with English subtitles, because it is a truly fascinating time-capsule of a movie that really should be seen more in the West. The circumstances around its production are fascinating, and I daresay you would easily be able to find a native German-speaker on this list who would be able to talk more about it.

That's all for now,

best

Jasper Sharp





Jasper Sharp: Writer & Film Curator Homepage
http://jaspersharp.com/

Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema
http://www.midnighteye.com

Zipangu Fest: Japanarchy in the UK
http://zipangufest.com/




> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:31:21 +0200
> From: andreas.thein at duesseldorf.de
> To: kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: Japanese-German film relations
> 
> Dear Kinejapaners,
> 
> in preparing a film series for 2011, I am currently looking into Japanese films that take place in Germany (even if only in parts of the film) - or Japanese films that feature German characters. So far I came up with nothing (there are a lot of German films taking place in Japan, though), yet I seem to remember a film from some years ago about a Japanese girl living (travelling?) in Germany (Berlin?), when a plague, which is only vaguely discribed and rather metaphorical, breaks out. Somehow all of this deals with humanity's unability to love... 
> But I'm sure there must be more than just this one title, so: Any input would really be more than welcome!
> 
> With sincere thanks in advance,
> Andreas
> 
> 
> 
> Andreas Thein
> Filmmuseum Duesseldorf
> Head of Collection
> andreas.thein at duesseldorf.de 
> http://www.duesseldorf.de 
> 
> 
 		 	   		  
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