[KineJapan] Tamura Masaki, RIP

[Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum via KineJapan]

Markus,

Thanks for the touching tribute to Tamura-san. I had hesitated to send out this news because so far the only mention I’ve seen of it is from Funabashi-san on Facebook—nothing else. But I assume you have other sources.

I knew Tamura-san first through YIDFF (though probably the first film of his I saw was Tampopo, which is not really a Tamura film). He was a juror for New Asian Currents when I was the coordinator, and he did a splendid job with that hard task. But for me, it was his later work with young directors which left me with the biggest impression. The three directors he worked most with were Ogawa, Yanagimachi, and Aoyama, and since I’ve written a lot on Aoyama, I’ve thought a lot about Tamura’s work. I once did an interview with him about his work with Yanagimachi—the camera through the murder scene towards the end of Himatsuri is pure Tamura—but I think his work for Aoyama was the best. I once asked Aoyama what Tamura was for him, and he simply answered: “Time.” 

Tamura-san also directed one film, Drive in Gamo (2014), and co-wrote a book with Aoyama about Golden-gai, which he often frequented (though I drank with him at another favorite spot: Kirin City). 

I hope everyone can look at this great interview we did with Tamura-san for Documentary Box, with Kanai Katsu as the expert interviewer. 

https://www.yidff.jp/docbox/8/box8-3-e.html

Aaron Gerow

> 2018/05/28 午前1:02、Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum via KineJapan <kinejapan at lists.osu.edu> のメール：
> 
> I just learned of Tamura Masaki's passing. I met Tamura-san through Ogawa Pro, but I already knew him—in a sense—from my intense encounters with his cinematography in Farewell to the Land, Himatsuri, and Tanpopo. These are stunningly photographed, especially the first two. I remember telling Tamura-san that I still had the spacey, writhing rice fields of Farewell to the Land imprinted indelibly in my mind. He was so pleased and revealed that, although Ogawa Pro had moved to Yamagata and produced little of note, it was all his experiments with rice photography in Magino that enabled him to shoot that film. 
> 
> Although he shot an astounding array of films throughout his career, from Lady Snowblood to Eureka, he'll undoubtedly be remembered especially for his partnership with Ogawa Shinsuke. He and Ogawa were clearly, incredibly close. Looking at the Heta Village making-of film, Filmmaking and the Way to the Village, you can see that he's the only one that can keep up with Ogawa. In the end, they had something of a falling out and Tamura-san basically avoided public talk about his experiences with Ogawa Pro. I was grateful that he talked to me. I vividly recall some bitter stories over cheap maguro and beer at some Nakano dive. 
> 
> But more than anything, I remember Ogawa's wake. As they do, lively tsuya slowly calm down as people peel away, going home or going asleep. Before I, too, succumbed to sleep, I was struck that Tamura-san quietly chatted in the darkness. The next morning, I heard he didn't sleep. 
> 
> In the last part of his career, Tamura-san made a very unusual contribution to Japanese cinema. At the top of his game, he quite self-consciously devoted himself to shooting films for young, up-and-coming directors—Aoyama, Kurosawa, Suo, Kawase, and others. Impressive. An impressive life.
> 
> Markus
> 
> 
> --- 
> 
> Markus Nornes
> Professor of Asian Cinema
> Department of Screen Arts and Cultures, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design
> 
> Department of Screen Arts and Cultures
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