[KineJapan] Kawase Watch

Sun Jun 6 18:56:21 EDT 2021

Thanks Bryan!

All this is about athletes and audiences. I am curious if there was any
mention of volunteers, staff, drivers, medical staff and the like?

And, being interested in the ethical conundrums of the documentary, I'd
include her film crew in that list (tho I would be thrilled if she shot
this alone on Super-8!). In most risky films I can think of, the stakes of
the "anything-for-the-sake-of-the-film" approach to dangerous situations
are individual or very limited; the pandemic amplifies this, as it does
everything.

Markus

---

*Markus Nornes*
*Professor of Asian Cinema*
*Interim Chair, Dept. of Asian Languages and Culture*

Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages and
Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design

*Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/
<http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/>*
*Department of Film, Television and Media*
*6348 North Quad*
*105 S. State Street**Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285*

On Sun, Jun 6, 2021 at 4:45 PM Bryan Hartzheim via KineJapan <
kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:

> I watched that Sukkiri segment. Aaron and Markus aren't misrepresenting
> what she said; they are in fact much more succinct in getting to her point.
> It's actually instructive to watch it, because it gives a stronger
> indication as to how she wants the discourse to be framed: her segment
> begins with her talking about how she's shot over 400 hours of footage for
> her doc, of the supreme mental discipline exhibited by the athletes, of how
> the Olympics are an "athlete's first" event. She continues on with
> entreaties for "debate," suggesting that the public does not understand the
> situation. The implication is that bureaucrats, with the assistance of the
> media, must do a better job of telling the public how safe the Olympics
> will be and, importantly, to feature more stories from athletes who want to
> compete in order to appeal to emotion and shift public opinion. Finally,
> despite stating she is not taking a side, she is asked point blank by the
> host whether she thinks the Olympics should go forward with crowds in
> attendance, and she says that as a former athlete, crowds are essential.
> Her stance is unequivocally for the games to be hosted and for the
> government to create the appropriate backdrop for a post-pandemic Japan to
> be shown to the world (this last point was reiterated several times, this
> global image of Japan being of central importance). All in all, I thought
> she was quite cynical and condescending towards the Japanese public, who
> she assumes to be lost, low-info sheep in need of direction and propaganda.
> Judging from comments on social media, however, her TV appearance might
> have done her cause more harm than good, as viewers seemed to be confused
> and frustrated by her often rambling appeals.
>
> Bryan
>
> On Mon, Jun 7, 2021 at 12:40 AM Linda Ehrlich via KineJapan <
> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>
>> In 2011 (March 10, the day before the earthquake), I had a very cordial
>> meeting with Kawase Naomi in her office in Nara. We discussed her
>> videocartas with Catalan filmmaker Isaki Lacuesta.
>> Just want to add this comment
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jun 6, 2021, at 11:09 AM, Naguib Razak via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>> I feel I have to speak up and add my perspective. Let’s just discuss the
>> statements she made within the context of the pandemic and the Olympics,
>> and leave personal attacks out of it.
>>
>> However public some of the events Earl described (and I remember reading
>> it) does not make that version of the story complete nor accurate, however
>> earnestly/honestly intended. Until I hear her own version, I’m just gonna
>> treat that as one collection of views about her. Perhaps accurate, perhaps
>> not.
>>
>> I too have directly received harsh accounts of her previously from
>> friends and I too have had some unpleasant moments of disagreement with her
>> over a project nearly 20 years ago.
>>
>> But all I can say now is that I’ve seen a lot of change in Kawase-san in
>> the past 10 or so years compared to much of what’s been said of her over
>> the years, especially early and middle of her career.
>>
>> She has become a lot more gracious, humble, giving and committed to
>> nurturing careers of others and retaining a space for creative, personal
>> documentaries to flourish at a time when such documentaries and their
>> filmmakers alike are losing a space to thrive and be seen or heard.
>>
>> She has also tried to engage important dialogue and discourse over the
>> diminishing spaces for this art form within government policy and
>> international cultural agencies.
>>
>> Personally I think it’s great that the role of documenting the Tokyo
>> Olympics went to her and not another faceless Dentsu privileged set. Not
>> just her, but filmmakers like her can bring so much more to our global
>> dialogue and narrative.
>>
>> I think she’s playing an important role. She’s stepping up and has
>> matured really well into that role.
>>
>> Now unless this is a gossip room, please stop all this personal,
>> judgmental, bitter attacks on her or anyone else for that matter unless
>> they are factual and thoroughly analyzed with balanced consideration of
>> both sides perspective.
>>
>> Naguib Razak
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On 6 Jun 2021, at 1:31 PM, Maria Jose Gonzalez via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> Dear Earl,
>>
>> It is your reply that is truly gracious, unlike some insulting others
>> that I have received privately to a comment made in an honest jocular
>> manner.
>> The thing is, I don't believe she has "progressed" in any way, I have
>> occassionally seen her on telly, and this last episode further proves it.
>> As a long-term resident in Japan, I have been/ am very concerned about
>> the situation here, which I am positive you are all also well aware of in
>> other countries.
>> To have a prominent cinema person like herself make statements of this
>> sort feels like a slap on the face, a total disregard for all the issues
>> the pandemic has created and continues to create.
>> Faced with this kind of behaviour, it is only natural to reflect and
>> express (negative) opinions on Kawase, especially when, in my case, it
>> feels so close to home.
>> One would think she is upset the pandemic has messed up her original
>> documentary plans and is now campaigning to have public at the venues, very
>> much following the government and the respective olympic committees,
>> trampling on whatever might stand on the way to hold the event ...
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> María José González
>> Kwansei Gakuin University
>> Nishinomiya, Japan
>>
>>
>> On Sunday, 6 June 2021, 01:05:52 PM GMT+9, Earl Jackson via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Dear David,
>>   I am glad that Kawase was gracious with you, David, and again - I don't
>> detail what I observed in Seoul publicly. Moreover, I believe everyone can
>> grow, mature, and change and perhaps Kawase has done that. The behavior I
>> mention was not hearsay or an unfortunately encounter with one person or a
>> small group. It was extensive and in front of a packed audience there to
>> see her and a respected feminist film maker and  scholar on stage to engage
>> in a conversation. In any event, I hope that she has progressed beyond what
>> she did in Korea that time. I also never intended to bring this up in a
>> forum like this, the reports of what she did now triggered me, but in
>> retrospect I think I should have been more restrained here. I definitely
>> also do not want to be piling up on anyone.
>> Earl Jackson
>> Chair Professor
>> Foreign Languages and Literatures
>> Asia University
>> Professor Emeritus
>> National Chiao Tung University
>> Associate Professor Emeritus
>> University of California, Santa Cruz
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 6, 2021 at 11:46 AM Desser, David M via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>> I interviewed her via GoToMeeting last summer for a small seminar.  She
>> was gracious, charming, modest and sweet.
>> Don't know why she's gotten such a bad rap from y'all, including my good
>> pal, Earl.
>>
>> David
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From:* KineJapan <kinejapan-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of
>> Maria Jose Gonzalez via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
>> *Sent:* Saturday, June 5, 2021 8:07 PM
>> *To:* Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
>> *Cc:* Maria Jose Gonzalez <tkarsavina at yahoo.com>
>> *Subject:* Re: [KineJapan] Kawase Watch
>>
>> Finally the real Kawase reaches the general public...
>>
>> When she started getting some attention with her work, I read some
>> interviews/ watched her speak somewhere and that was the end of Kawase for
>> me and thus have never seen any of her films, possibly to my detriment, I
>> know, but considering how much there is to watch, I'd rather spend my time
>> with directors less arrogant and full of themselves as her.
>> I didn't watch the programme but read the various news reports and her
>> total lack of consideration and empathy was truly shocking.
>> In fact, she sort of blamed the people for the ongoing pandemic situation.
>> Somebody should have reminded her that -sadly- all the people in Ginza
>> and the like are the ones being forced to keep this Olympics nightmare
>> afloat together with the capital's economy so that she can get her millions
>> for the documentary, in the end, a paid job for the LDP government, let's
>> not forget.
>> A more conscientious director would have resigned months ago.
>>
>> María José González
>> Kwansei Gakuin University
>> Nishinomiya, Japan
>> On Sunday, 6 June 2021, 09:03:18 AM GMT+9, Earl Jackson via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I won't go into detail here, but I've often spoken privately about
>> Kawase's shocking behavior in Seoul when she had been hosted with lavish
>> care and attention.It really affected the way I've seen her films
>> thereafter, although I know that's unfair. But her views on the Olympics
>> during COVID brought that behavior back to me like a bad acid trip.
>> best
>> ej
>> Earl Jackson
>> Chair Professor
>> Foreign Languages and Literatures
>> Asia University
>> Professor Emeritus
>> National Chiao Tung University
>> Associate Professor Emeritus
>> University of California, Santa Cruz
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 5, 2021 at 10:37 PM Markus Nornes via KineJapan <
>> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Kawase Naomi has been making news recently.
>>
>> Appearing on a talk show called *Sukkiri *to talk about the Olympics*,* she
>> said (basically), "A high jumper can jump 3 centimeters higher with a
>> crowd." While it appears she didn't land on a firm stance, her opinion
>> seemed pretty clear when she pointed out that she went from Nara to a
>> crowded Ginza and asserted people are going to get infected one way or
>> another. I guess it's OK if a few people get sick, maybe someone dies, if
>> you can make your documentary. I cringe to think how her film will deal
>> with the pandemic. The Olympics are such a soul-sucking racket.
>>
>> In other news, Kawase became the president of the women's basketball
>> association in Japan.
>>
>> Markus
>>
>>
>>
>> ---
>>
>> *Markus Nornes*
>> *Professor of Asian Cinema*
>> *Interim Chair, Dept. of Asian Languages and Culture*
>>
>> Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages
>> and Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/
>> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www-personal.umich.edu/*nornes/__;fg!!DZ3fjg!phBnF1ybZ--Aj4TL0e_76J4ZxFM_FcxC5IzfCyOYBn7D5yCJNIXgWykGtS87qzUP$>
>> *
>> *Department of Film, Television and Media *
>> *6348 North Quad *
>> *105 S. State Street **Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285*
>>
>>
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