Throughout its long and rich history, Japanese cinema has always had a reputation for being wildly imaginative, original and slightly bizarre. Unfortunately, while many Japanese films are revered as classics, most of them do not make it overseas.
Finding an abundance of Japanese cinema is often quite difficult without the aid of a great video store, a DVD-equipped foreign friend or an illegal download. Luckily, us Vancouverites also have The Cinematheque, and its annual event, Kibatsu Cinema.
Returning for its fourth year, Kibatsu Cinema is currently running a double feature each Thursday until June 28th. Appropriately titled, Kibatsu Cinema celebrates the strange and eccentric contemporary films of Japan. While finding a perfect translation for any word is difficult, Kibatsu essentially means unconventional, but also connotes something unusual, strange, novel or original. And wonderfully strange the featured films of Kibatsu Cinema are.
From science-fiction anime to explorative documentaries, Kibatsu Cinema offers a different experience than the usual Hollywood blockbuster. Although I can only vouch for the two films I have seen, the remaining six films seem just as quirky, fun, wondrously imaginative and deeply profound. The synopses of the eight films may not seem overwhelmingly different from North American cinema, but Casting Blossoms to the Sky and The Dark Harbour definitely proved their distinction.
Casting Blossoms to the Sky is directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, and is, fittingly, an unconventional tale of wartime tragedies. Exhibited as a “film essay,” each new shot flips like the page of a book, quickly revealing the film’s themes.
In a kaleidoscopic, whirlwind melding of intertwining story lines, the film chronicles Reiko, a reporter, travelling to Nagaoka to write an article on the people displaced by the Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011. Reiko gains a little more than she bargained for, though; she does not simply experience the aftermath of Mother Nature’s wrath, but also the catastrophic long-term effects of previous wars.
Set against the annual fireworks festival in Nagaoka, Japan, Casting Blossoms to the Sky offers a glimpse of the shared cultural identity of a nation scarred from the tragedies of Second World War. Obayashi makes great use of low budget effects, and creates a colourful world that blurs the lines between the past and present. Although the underlying story is bleak, the film is balanced with quirky characters, true stories, humour and optimism.
While Casting Blossoms to the Sky is long, clocking in at 140 minutes, the pace is quick, keeps your attention and stirs your emotions. Although my back hurt at times, and I really wanted more Pocky sticks from the concession, this film showed a perspective that is uniquely post-war Japan, and succeeded in (almost) bringing tears to my eyes.
The Dark Harbour is directed by Naito Takatsugu, and was a fantastic juxtaposition next to Casting Blossoms to the Sky. While Casting Blossoms to the Sky expresses the quick-paced, bright and noisy portrayal of city life, The Dark Harbour shows the quiet solitude of life as a fisherman, with minimal dialogue, dreary colours and a slow pace.
The Dark Harbour follows Manzo, a lonely fisherman, who desperately wants a wife and a family. Fortuitously, Manzo doesn’t have to wait long for what he is looking for because a woman and boy randomly show up in his closet. With perfectly punctuated humour, this film has more than a few hilarious moments. The laughs do not depend on punchlines, but absurd scenarios and misinterpreted actions. While much of the plot is quite sad, The Dark Harbour is also a heartfelt story of a man who is given the chance to have a family.
With only a handful of screenings left of Kibatsu Cinema, I would highly recommend you go see at least one of these films, or at least plan ahead for next year. Judging from the opening night, any one of these films won’t be a disappointment.
