Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival in Frankfurt
From the 1st to the 6th of May the 21st edition of the Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival will be held in Frankfurt. This year it is kind of special, as the organizers brilliantly overcame the challenge that the current situation poses by opting for a hybrid form of the event, merging both digital and physical attendance. Therefore, even if you do not have the chance to visit Frankfurt, you will still have the possibility to attend the festival and the screening of more than 100 Japanese movies and shorts. On top of that, many filmmakers will be present to showcase their works through live discussions and interviews. Workshops, lectures, performances, and concerts come to further diversify the activities of the festival, all connected to the common theme that is the Japanese cultural area and its moviemaking. From mainstream to niche documentaries, ‘film d’auteur’ as well as experimental shorts, the whole spectrum will be represented throughout the week-long festival. We at Wasshoi! believe it to be a great opportunity for any cinema enthusiast, even more for those interested in the Japanese filmmaking art, and are happy to present the festival to you: Nippon Connection - Startpage .
A shot of a screening from the 2017 edition.
A brief history of the festival and Nippon Connection
The festival was born from the passion of its founders, Marion Klomfass and Holger Ziegler, who, in the late 1990s, noticed how Japanese films were drastically underrepresented in Europe. Their initial university screening project quickly got traction and by April 2000 the very first edition of the Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival came to be. Pioneers in this niche, Nippon Connection team had the intuition to associate their screenings to a cultural program introducing Japanese matters, as to provide a suitable context that would allow people to further enjoy the movies presented. This seed planted in a fertile soil soon became a celebrated internationally film festival and, as of today, the most important platform for Japanese cinema worldwide. Through Nippon Connection many emerging filmmakers, such as Yamashita Nobuhiro, Toyoda Toshiaki and Tanada Yuki, were able to present their works outside of Japan and engage in discussion within a hub of creatives. During its constant evolution, the Film Festival established five award categories celebrating all sort of projects, from those of veteran filmmakers to emergent ones, all with the goal of promoting and encouraging the development of Japanese cinematography.
The 2019 award winner of Nippon Visions category, Sea (Kaibatsu) by Kensei Takahashi.
This year’s program
This year’s edition revolves around the theme of ‘Japanese Family’ through the perspective of preservation of traditions and the ever-changing social environment and customs. As an ambassador for this delicate topic, ‘Family of Strangers’ by Hirayama Hideyuki will be screened. This tragicomedy, based on the successful book ‘Closed Ward’ by Hahakigi Hosei, is set in a psychiatric hospital and follows the story of three patients. The action is set in motion by a homicide happening within the ward. The three main characters, each marked by their heavy past, will progressively form a strong bond, somewhat replacing the families who disowned them.
Family of Strangers (Heisa byōtō sorezore no asa 閉鎖病棟それぞれの朝). Director: Hideyuki Hirayama (平山秀幸)
Another example of an innovative take on the notion of family and Japanese society is ‘Under the Open Sky’ by Nishikawa Miwa. The director powerfully hits the audience by depicting the struggle of a former yakuza in rebuilding his life after serving a 13-year-long sentence. Through this extreme and original example Nishikawa scrutinizes the society and questions it, revealing one of our unspoken fears: ‘Do we live in a society that gives us a second chance at life?’. The movie has been praised by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho for its sensibility and Nishikawa’s skill in adapting Saki Ryūzō′s novel Mibunchō.
Under The Open Sky (Subarashiki Sekai すばらしき世界). Director: Miwa Nishikawa (西川美和)
Among the many screenings, the viewers will also have to chance to see Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘To The Ends Of The Earth’ and Sion Sono’s ‘Red Post On Escher Street’, both of which, we believe, speak for themselves.
Red Post On Escher Street (Escher dōri no akai posuto エッシャー通りの赤いポスト). Director: Sion SONO (園子温)
To the ends of the Earth (Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari 旅のおわり世界のはじまり). Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (黒沢清)
During the festival, an important exposition will be given also to documentaries and animation. ‘Me and the Cult Leader: A Modern Report on the Banality of Evil’ by Sakahara Atsushi depicts himself, a survivor of the 1995 terrorist attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, facing his trauma by meeting the current director of the cult, known nowadays as Aleph. This intimate documentary is narrated through the director’s perspective of victim and survivor, his long journey with the PTSD and his unbreakable bond with the cult.
Me and The Cult Leader (Aganai chikatetsu sarinjiken to watashi AGANAI 地下鉄サリン事件と私). Director: Atsushi Sakahara (さかはらあつし)
On a lighter note, the animated movie ‘Seven Days War’ by Yuta Murano, inspired by the homonymous novel by Soda Osamu, presents the satirical rebellion of a group of middle schoolers who antagonize a patronizing and strict world of the adults.
Seven Days War (bokura no nanoka-kan sensō ぼくらの七日間戦争). Director: Yuta Murano (村野佑太)
Lastly, the organizers have also decided to present several animated short movies made by the students of Tokyo University of the Arts. We cannot wait to watch them ourselves, but for now we can only enjoy these glimpses at some single frames:
Many more movies and activities will be presented throughout the week-long festival. We invite you to visit their homepage and find out more about the scheduled screenings and all the connected events: Nippon Connection - Startpage
As for us, we will likely bring you some reviews of the movies we decided to watch, published both on this blog and in our Magazine. So, stay tuned, as we will be presenting to you a more in-depth analysis of some of the films and, who knows, maybe some other unexpected content as well!
Written by Marty Borsotti