films on minorities in Japan

[Jasper Sharp]

There's a couple of films about Ainu I can think of offhand -
Uchida Tomu's The Outsiders (1958): See review http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/outsiders.shtml
There's a subbed print of this film,Toei own the rights, but I believe this is in the Japan Foundation library
Saito Buichi's Plains Wanderer (1960): http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/round-up_016.shtml#plains-wandererOne of Nikkatsu's Wataridori/Wandering guitar series starring Kobayashi Akira. This was shown at Udine in 2005, though am not sure if there's a subbed print available - I believe it was actually soft-subbed.
Both these films are pseudo-Westerns in which the Ainu stand in for the Native Americans. Both very entertaining.
There's a number of films about Okinawa, the one that immediately springs to my mind is Hotel Hibiscus (2002) directed by Nakae Yuji. He directed a number of similar films about life in Okinawa such as Nabbie's Love and Pineapple Tours.
Yamagata had a focus on films about Okinawa in 2003 entitled Okinawa—Nexus of Borders: Ryukyu ReflectionsYou might want to check out the catalogue here: http://www.yidff.jp/2003/2003catalog-e.html
And there was a book that came out last year that focussed on the kind of films you're looking at, Japanese Cinema and Otherness: Nationalism, Multiculturalism and the Problem of Japaneseness by Mika Ko, published by Routledge.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Cinema-Otherness-Multiculturalism-Japaneseness/dp/0415689570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328363972&sr=8-1
Finally, I should probably point out that all this kind of information and much much more can be found in my new book, The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema, out now from Scarecrow Press. The individual entries and the bibliography will point you in the right direction.

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: Sat, 4 Feb 2012 19:13:55 +0900
From: johnlichten at gmail.com
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: films on minorities in Japan



Hello,
Another recent zainichi film is Izutsu Kazuyuki's Pacchigi, or, dealing with minorities in more general terms, Iwai Shunji's Swallowtail.
Not on DVD yet, but there is this recent documentary. Haven't seen it, don't know much about it, but you may find it interesting, about Ainu in Tokyo.http://www.2kamuymintara.com/film/
Jack Lichten


On Feb 4, 2012, at 6:57 PM, Lorenzo Javier Torres Hortelano wrote:Dear Eija,

Although not about Ainus or Okinawans, you may try
Isao Yukisada's Go, 2001, about zainichis.

Best,

Lorenzo J. Torres Hortelano

Profesor Titular 

Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación 

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Edificio Departamental - Despacho 22Camino del Molino s/n

28943 Fuenlabrada34-657565507

lorenzojavier.torres.hortelano at urjc.es




 






2012/2/4 Eija Niskanen <eija.niskanen at gmail.com>
>
> Dear all,
>
> can you suggest some easy to get films (for ex. on DVD), either


> documentaries or fiction films, on minorities in Japan. Especially
> films on Ainu and Okinawans are sought. These are to be shown on a
> Linguapax film series at IUC.
>
> Thanks,
>

> Eija

>
> --
> Eija Niskanen
> 080-3479-8475
> Kichijoji Honcho 4-12-6
> Musashino-shi
> Tokyo 180-0004



 		 	   		  
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