Tags
『相馬看花 第一部 奪われた土地の記憶』, わが母の記, Japanese Film Festival 2012, National Museum of Singapore, tsunami, 奇跡, 日本映画祭
The Japanese Film Festival 2012 at The National Museum of Singapore, a yearly treat for filmgoers who love Japanese films and filmmakers. For me, this is a yearly retreat !!! for something which I cannot understand fully, yet feel wonderfully fulfilled.
Held at the Gallery Theate, National Museum of Singapore. A hauntingly appropriate place to host this event, it is like even the atmospheric air in the museum reaked of Japanese film essence.
So hauntingly quiet, I can’t help but sat down and hum a song to myself.
This year’s festival showcased 2 tsunami documentaries, which has also been featured in other international film festivals in Pusan, Hong Kong and Berlin.
Day 1 at the Japanese Film Festival 2012, I chose『相馬看花 第一部 奪われた土地の記憶』. ( Fukushima – Memories Of The Lost Landscape ) A film about the people of Enei district of Minami Soma town which lies within the 20km exclusion site of the Fukushima Daiichi Nucleaer Power Plant meltdown following 11th March tsunami, how they strived, survived and stayed united as a community. A film that makes you smile with brimming tears. How in adversity, the Japanese remained cheerful and strong. How painful yet true … ”酒があれば何にも要らない。。”.
Day 2 at the Japanese Film Festival 2012, I chose the film <奇跡>。A very heartwarming film about the simple wishes of 12 years old Koichi, his brother Ryunosuke and their friends, and how they went on a journey to make their wishes come true. I finally understood why the Japanese are so resilient in nature … they are born so.
After watching the film, I finally understood why it is not translated simply as “Miracles”.
The third and final film which I have watched also happened to be my favourite.
It is <わが母の記> ( Chronicles of My Mother ). Everything about this film is all about why I adore Japanese films. Although I could not understand fully, yet I feel wonderfully fulfilled. This is the beauty of this film.
And yes, every day I was here, I sat on the same seat in the theatre.
And this final film left me with a sense of loss, and I can’t wait for the festival in 2013.
This sense of loss came with a joy of being with myself. Although I have watched these films alone, I felt it is another me in the theatre. And after the show ended, that me vanished, leaving me with this sense of loss.
And I can’t wait to meet me again, in 2013.