[KineJapan] Uplink lawsuit

Wed Jun 17 23:11:58 EDT 2020

This has been rough to watch play out, for the reasons Aaron notes. Uplink
is such a precious place for independent film and of all modes and budgets.
Still, when I saw the initial news, somehow I wasn't surprised. Asai-san
has an edge about him. The reactions have been moving and complicated. Here
are a few things that circulated on Twitter for those that haven't seen.

Markus

[image: Appeal1.jpg]
[image: Appeal2.jpg]
[image: Response.jpg]
[image: Fukada.jpg]
[image: Screen Shot 2020-06-17 at 11.04.39 PM.png]
And Asai's statement:

元従業員の方々から訴訟を提起されたことに関して、真摯に受け止めております。不適切な言動があったことを深く反省し、謝罪致します。本件の解決に向けて、誠意をもって対応をして参ります。

社としてもハラスメントの再発防止に努めていく所存です。

改めて詳細なコメントを発表します。少々お時間をいただけますようお願い申し上げます。

2020年6月16日
有限会社アップリンク
取締役社長 浅井隆

---

*Markus Nornes*
*Professor of Asian Cinema*
Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages and
Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design

*Department of Film, Television and Media*
*6348 North Quad*
*105 S. State Street*
*Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285*

On Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 9:44 PM Gerow Aaron via KineJapan <
kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:

> Four former employees of Uplink, the film theater and distribution
> company, have sued the president of the company, Asai Takashi, accusing him
> of repeated instances of power harassment. They said he continually yelled
> at and berated employees, even in front of others, forcing them to write
> apologies and work overtime without pay. The four have made their names
> public and held a press conference. Major news agencies, as well as the
> wide shows, have taken up the story. Here’s one story:
>
> https://www.cinra.net/column/202006-uplink_skkskcl
>
> This has been a major shock for the indie film community in Japan since
> Uplink has been instrumental in enabling even the smallest of art and
> experimental films to get a theatrical release. Asai has also been active
> in defending alternative culture, even suing the authorities two decades
> ago when police tried to prevent him from selling a Robert Mapplethorpe
> photo book. When theaters had to close down due to COVID-19, Asai was one
> of the leaders in arguing the case for the importance of small theaters.
>
> My Facebook feed has been full of comments by people who know Asai.
> Everyone condemns what he did, but a few mentioned their regrets over
> knowing it happened, but never saying anything about it. One TV report I
> saw used the term “yarigai sakushu やりがい搾取”--perhaps “exploiting rewarding
> work”—to describe exploitation of the desire of people to work at place,
> often associated with culture, that is contributing to society in a
> positive way. I am afraid there is probably a lot of that in Japan, with
> many culture-related institutions depending on young people working for
> little or no money, but Asai brought it into the foreground by harassing
> those who were being exploited in that way.
>
> Asai made a quick apology on the company website and says he will make a
> full comment in a day or two.
>
> Aaron Gerow
> Professor
> Film and Media Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
> Chair, East Asian Languages and Literatures
> Yale University
> 143 Elm Street, Room 210
> PO Box 208324
> New Haven, CT 06520-8324
> USA
> Phone: 1-203-432-7082
> Fax: 1-203-432-6729
> e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu
> website: www.aarongerow.com
>
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> _______________________________________________
> KineJapan mailing list
> KineJapan at mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/kinejapan
>
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