NEWS

Latest documentary "Oyster Factory" has been officially invited to Locarno International Film Festival 2015! 最新作『牡蠣工場』がロカルノ国際映画祭へ正式招待されました!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Yamagata 山形映画祭





 10月4日から11日までの一週間、山形国際ドキュメンタリー映画祭に参加した。何を隠そう、山形へ行くのは初めてである。映画祭は今年で20年目を迎え、ほとんどの人は常連なので、ちょっと珍しがられた。
 山形で今回僕に課せられた仕事といえば、「『選挙』をどうやって世界中に売り込んだのか」を暴露?する講演と、『選挙』の上映+質疑応答、社会学者の宮台真司さんの講演への飛び入り参加、の3つだけ。あとは朝から晩まで映画三昧、夜中は香味庵でダベるという、贅沢な一週間となった。家族と一緒に蔵王温泉にも一泊した。
 ここで観た映画で特筆すべきだったのは4本。一本目は、オープニング上映された『蔵王山』(1935年、塚本閤治)。蔵王山へ登り、スキーで滑走しながら下山する模様をサイレントでフィルムに収めただけなんだけど、これが凄かった。映画ってシンプルでいいんだよね。ごちゃごちゃ複雑なことを撮る必要なんてないんです。とにかく白黒が美しい!あんな雪景色、温暖化が進んだ今でも残ってるんだろうか。
 二本目は、『潤滑油』(1960年、竹内信次)。丸善石油のプロモーションとして撮られた短編科学映画なんだけど、色も構図も音も凄まじいほど切れ味がいい。潤滑油の視点で現代文明を鋭く捉えている。油に感情移入したのは初めての経験(笑)。これほどの傑作がPR映画として撮られたことに驚愕せずにはいられなかった。
 三本目は、『ある機関助士』(1963年、土本典昭)。これを言うと恥ずかしいんだけど、土本さんの作品は生まれて初めて観た。なにせ僕はアメリカに渡ってからドキュメンタリーに入ったので、日本の名作にはなかなか触れる機会がなかったのだ。で、観たらぶっ飛んだ。こりゃ凄いわ。本作も国鉄の安全性をアピールするPR映画として撮られたんだそうだけど、蒸気機関車が猛獣のように滑走する姿と、機関士たちの精密かつダイナミックな作業や動作が生き生きと活写され、PRプロパガンダ映画としての枠を軽々と超越している。非常に映画的。いいですねえ。
 四本目は、『紙は余燼を包めない』(2006年、リティ・パニュ)。プノンペンの娼婦たちの日常生活と独白のような会話を収めたダイレクト・シネマなんだけど、どうやって撮ったのか想像がつかない。だいたい、いかにして撮影許可をもらったのか。映像的にも美しく抑制が効いており、コンペ作品なのに賞を逃したことに釈然としない思いが残った。
 そんなこんなで、山形映画祭、満喫しました。二年後も新作を携えて来たいものです。

From October 4 till 11, I attended Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. To be honest, this is the first time for me to go to Yamagata, which surprised many people because most people are repeaters.

The jobs I had to do there were very limited. I did a lecture on "how to sell your doc abroad," did a Q&A after a screening of CAMPAIGN, and joined a lecture by a renowned sociologist Shinji Miyadai as a guest speaker. Other than that, all I had to do was to watch movies, chat with friends and colleagues until early morning, and jump in to hot springs in Zao. It was a luxurious week.

There were four movies I was deeply impressed. The first one was called MT. ZAO (1935) by Koji Tsukamoto. All he shot was that people climbed the mountain and went down the slopes skiing, but it was so thrilling and beautiful. Movies do not have to be complicated. The B&W photography was just superb. I wonder if that much snow in winter is still there in this age of global warming.

The second one was LUBRICATING OIL (1960) by Shinji Takeuchi. It is a short film made as a PR film for an oil company, but the colors, compositions, and sounds are just incredibly beautiful. It is a critique of modern civilization from a point of view of lubricating oil. I've never projected myself onto oil before. It's is so amazing to learn that such a powerful masterpiece was made as a corporate film.

The third one was AN ENGINEER'S ASSISTANT (1963) by Tsuchimoto Noriaki. It's embarrassing to say that I saw his film for the first time. I entered the documentary world after I moved to New York, so I had never had a chance to see Japanese old masterpieces. And when I saw it, I was blown away. This is certainly a masterpiece. It was also shot as a propaganda film for Japan Railroad to show how safe their trains are, but it captures the train running like a beautiful animal. The intricate details of dynamic works by train's staff are really powerful and cinematic. I just loved it.

The fourth film was PAPER CANNOT WRAP UP EMBERS (2006) by Rithy Panh. It is a direct cinema which shows the daily lives and monologues-like dialogues by prostitutes in Phnom Penh. I had no idea how the director shot it and how he got the permission to shoot. The shots are beautifully composed and edited. I didn't understand why this didn't get any awards even if it was in the competition.

Anyway, the week in Yamagata was very enjoyable. I'd like to come back here in 2009 hopefully with my new movie.

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