Influence of Japanese War-era films on Malayan Post-war Cinema

[mjraine at uchicago.edu]

I have a long-standing interest in Japanese wartime cinema and have asked on several occasions for permission to show Toho films from the period in the USA. But I always get turned down! When I even got turned down for a public screening of an unsubtitled DVD I decided that the problem was nothing to do with the availability of prints... So I wouldn't be so hopeful about getting Toho, at least, to grant permission. Maybe now that Criterion has released the wartime Kurosawa at last...

I think the films themselves, and the image culture of which they were a part, are of extraordinary interest. I understand the sensitivity of the films but I'm certain audiences outside Japan would be able to respond to the films without simply taking them as an excuse to rehearse already-existing arguments about Japan's war responsibility in general. Perhaps Aaron can suggest some way of freeing up the films? Subtitles aren't a problem! 

To get back on topic ... there's an amazing P. Ramlee comedy about three bachelors who fly on a magic carpet (I can't remember why any more...) singing the wartime anthem Aikoku koshinkyoku! The song features in an interesting way in Hanako-san (and other films, I think). Apparently Ramlee went to a Japanese Navy sponsored school and was taught all the songs... and they must have been widely known even 25 years later.

Michael


>Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 09:17:04 -0800 (PST)
>From: naguib_razak <naguib_razak at yahoo.com>  
>Subject: Influence of Japanese War-era films on Malayan Post-war Cinema  
>To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>
>   Dear KineJapaners,
>   A Malaysian friend of mine is interested in making a
>   documentary on the influence of Japanese War-era
>   films on Malayan Cinema in the post-war years,
>   including those by Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa. 
>   I thought I'd ask amongst those of you here if you
>   have had any experience or know of other people who
>   may have attempted securing permission to either
>   still or moving images from these war-era films.
>   Would the fact that these films would be more than
>   65 years old by now, make it easier and perhaps less
>   costly to negotiate permission for use in a
>   documentary as well as accessing the footage in some
>   transferable form? 
>   Would they largely be under the care of Kawakita
>   Memorial Film Institute or the National Film Center,
>   permissions-wise? Or still with the respective
>   commercial rights-holders?
>   Any advice or suggestion would be welcome.
>   Warmest regards,
>    
>   Naguib Razak
>   Managing Director, Producer/Director
>   Blue In Green Productions