MWFF 2016: Tatara Samurai Reception

Tatara Samurai Special Event

August 29, 2016

The Executive Produce of the Japanese film Tatara Samurai EXALE HIRO and the LDH Inc. agency participated in the Montreal World Film Festival presentation of the film. There was a pre-screening of the film photo session at the Imperial Theatre with the film's director Yoshinari Nishikori and the two actors Sho Aoyagi and Naoki Kobayashi, and the onstage film presentation and discussion before and after the screening of the film.

After the screening, a special reception was organized by the film's Producer where the production team celebrated and interacted with those present. The two actors were exceptionally friendly and ready to answer any questions and listen to the comments, as well as to grant all the picture taking requests. It was a great evening!

You can read more about the Tatara Samurai  film here. The film won the Best Artistic Contribution prize at the Montreal World Film Festival 2016.

MWFF 2016: Tatara Samurai

TATARA SAMURAI

WORLD COMPETITION

DIRECTOR: Yoshinari Nishikori

SCRIPT: Yoshinari Nishikori

LEAD ACTOR: Sho Aoyagi

COUNTRY: Japon; 135 min.
LANGUAGE: Japanese, English subtitles

Official Synopses:

"When the Amago samurai withdraw their protection of the village of Tatara, famous for their manufacture of the legendary swords, the younger generation - erroneously - believe that guns will suffice."

The film's story line is set in the 16 century, during the Japan's Age of Wars, a time of social upheaval and constant military conflict. The guns are introduced to Japan, and the era of the Lord Oda's supremacy comes to the end. The Samirai lords begin to covet the guns and battle over the numbers of guns they posses.

There is a small village in the mountains making steel from ancient times. Their steel is made by Tatara-buki, a secret ancient method known as supreme steel. Tatara does not rust for a thousand years. Since the best Japanese swards cannot be made without Tatara steel, everybody, not only swordsmiths, but also traders associated with Samurais, strive to get this steel. With the introduction of the guns, the traders further attempt to usurp the steel production into their hands.

Gosuke, the leading character in the film, is the eldest son of the Murage Family, the only person in the village to inherit the Tatara steel making production. He has the obligation to guard the Tatara-buki steel making method inherited from his ancestors. In order to guard the village, he concentrates on martial arts training. He also decides to become a samurai to advance his fighting and defence skills, but gets disillusioned when he sees the power of the guns. The young village men then decide to protect their village with the guns, which leads to tragic results.

The film has a complex story line which weaves through the Japanese realities and shows the horrors and devastation caused by the embattling social strata. The film's director, who is also its script writer, stated that he drew a parallel in this film between the old era fighting to control the steel production and the issues behind the global oil demand in our days. The fighting will never solve the problems we face today. The peace has to be achieved without drawing out the sword.

The film shows beautiful and very peaceful Japanese sceneries which contrast with the aggression of the warring men. The cast is superb, and the film touches on some core issues of our collective existence.

This film won the Best Artistic Contribution prize at the Montreal World Film Festival 2016.

MWFF 2014: Cape Nostalgia - Prizes

Cape Nostalgia
Awards

Ecumenical Prize

Japanese film Cape Nostalgia won two prestigious prizes at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014. In the afternoon of the festival's last day, the film was awarded the Ecumenical Prize.  Three members of the film's production team accepted the price, as seen on the picture below.

Special Grand Prix of the Jury

In the evening of the same day, at the MMFA Closing Ceremony, the film was awarded the Special Grand prize of the Jury. The prize was accepted by the two lead actors Sayuri Yoshinaga and Hiroshi Abe.

Each actor delivered a short thank you message.

At the end of the Award Presentation Ceremonies, Cape Nostalgia lead actors posed for a group photo with all those who won special recognition and received a prize at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014 closing night.

Before the Closing Ceremonies, the film's lead actors posed for the photo-taking session on the red carpet in front of the the Imperial Theatre as they arrived for the Awards Winning Ceremony.

Earlier that day, they briefly appeared at the pre-award closing night reception on the open terrace at the Montreal's Hyatt Hotel. 

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Cape Nostalgia has truly merited awards it received. Read more about this film here.

You can also read about the Special Event the Cape Nostalgia Production Team hosted at the MWFF 2014 festival here.

Click on images to enlarge them.

All photos in this article by Nadia Slejskova.

©2014 Nadia Slejskova

MWFF 2014: Cape Nostalgia Special Event

Cape Nostalgia Japanese Film at MWFF 2014

In the evening of August 30, 2014, the Production Team of the Japanese film Cape Nostalgia hosted a special event to promote their film at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014. The lead actors as well as directors and producers were present.

The main attraction of the evening were by far the lead actrice Sayuri Yoshinaga, and the lead actor Hiroshi Abe. They freely interacted with those present at the event answering many questions and comments. 

Sayuri Yoshinaga, with her true and quite surprising Japanese grace and gentleness, was the perfect choice to portray Ensuco, the main heroin from the novel by Akio Morisawa The Teahouse of the Rainbow Cape, on which the film Cape Nostalgia is based. She is also very photogenic, as you can see from the following photos.

The lead actor Hiroshi Abe projects an unusual combination of ruggedness, drama and inner gentleness. You can see this in the following photos. On one to the left he has a radiant, gentle and friendly smile. On the other to the right he was caught, even during a very tranquil reception, with a very intense, dramatic, and absorbed-introspective expression. That expression tells me he is capable of portraying real drama on the screen, and I only hope that some director will cast him for just such a dramatic role to reveal fully this actor's true talent and potential.

The evening also featured Japanese food.

And then there was a special Cape Nostalgia cake. The cake cutting ceremony was graced by the lovely Sayuri Yoshinaga.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

You can read about Cape Nostalgia film in my post here.

This film won two prizes at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014. Read about it here.

Click on images to enlarge them.

Top image courtesy of MWFF.

All other photos in this article by Nadia Slejskova.

©2014 Nadia Slejskova

MWFF 2014: Cape Nostalgia

FUSHIGI NA MISAKI NO MONOGATARI / CAPE NOSTALGIA

2014, Colour, Japan, World Competition 

Production Team

Director: Izuru Narushima

Screenwriter: Masato Kato, Teruo Abe. D'apres le roman/Based on the novel: Niji No Misaki No Kissaten. De/By: Akio Morisawa

Cinematographer: Mutsuo Naganuma

Editor: Hideaki Cohata

Cast: Sayuri Yoshinaga, Hiroshi Abe, Yuko Takeuchi, Tsurube Shofukutei, Takeo Nakahara, Renji Ishibashi, Masakane Yonekura

Music: Goro Yasukawa

Film production and Sales: Prod. & Ventes/Sales: Sayuri Yoshinaga, Izuru Narushima, Riuko Tominaga, Toei Company Ltd., 2-17, 3-Chome, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8108 (Japon), tél.: (+81-3) 3535 76 21, dai_yashiki@toei.co.kp

Director

Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan in 1961, Izuru Narushima's debut feature, THE HUNTER, (2004) won him Best New Director honours at the 2005 Japanese Professional Movie Awards and the Yokohama Festival. His subsequent films include FLY, DADDY FLY! (2005), MIDNIGHT EAGLE (2007), LOVE FIGHT (2008), A LONE SCALPEL (2010), ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO (2011), REBIRTH (2011), winner of best director at the Japanese Academy, and A CHAIR ON THE PLAINS (2013). 

Official Synopsis

"Etsuko's café in her peaceful little seaside town is where everyone gathers to gossip and taste her famous brew. But the winds of change are beginning to blow."

The photo below shows members of the film's production team at the Montreal World Film Festival's press conference. In the centre is the lead actress and producer Sayuri Yoshinaga, on the right the lead actor Hiroshi Abe.

This film is an eye candy which warms one's soul and one's emotions. It portrayed life in a small Japanese town located in an-hour-and-a-half ride from Tokyo. This town represents a very different world from the busy capital city. In this sea-shore place, life is peaceful and even magical.

The film is based on the novel The Teahouse of the Rainbow Cape by the Japanese writer Akio Morisawa. The small café we see in the film is actually a real resto place in this real seaside town.

Etsuco (played by Sayuri Yoshinaga) is the owner of the café. All the people in the town and from far away gather at her small wooden house. They find there warmth and understanding. When there, the life burdens seem to melt away from their shoulders.

It is not only the Ensuco's gentle nature that brings people the inner peace, but also her special brew of coffee she offers to her clients. Each morning, she rides a boat across the bay, quite some distance from her house, to fetch water from a sacred spring. She calls this water 'alive' and takes great care it is not disturbed when gathered into containers or during transportation back to her house. From this water she brews her special coffee into which she further infuses the upward rising energy of well-being when reciting a phrase "Goodness arise". Without this short magic ceremony, the coffee does not taste the same to her clients. The heroin has truly found for herself some spiritual truths and strength, the effects of which she is able to pass onto the others, thus somehow organizing their lives to the better.

Ensuco also has a protector, who takes care of her. Koji,
her nephew, played by Hiroshi Abe, is a rough character on the surface. But inside he is a gentle soul. He helps Ensuco in creating the magic of that place and in taking care of her clients and other people in the town.

The scenery in this film is breathtaking. The shots across the bay show the vastness of the sea and the depth of the skies. They are wonderful to watch as these stunning scenes unroll on the screen. 

I highly recommend this film, especially if you feel down or depressed. You will come out feeling much better, even without having tasted a drop of Ensuco's coffee.

You can read about the special event hosted by the Cape Nostalgia Production Team in my following post here.

This film won two prizes at the Montreal World Film Festival 2014. You can read about it here.

Top Image courtesy MWFF 2014 and the Director of the film.
All other photos by Nadia Slejskova.
© Nadia Slejskova