The Search - Xunzhoo Zhimei Gengdeng-Tibet

This is the second movie to be made inside Tibet, by an all Tibetan crew and cast. It is extremely difficult to get past the Chinese censors and so this one took longer to make and to produce. It is a love story on many levels: the long distance romance, the unreturned love, the love of theatre, music and culture of Tibet and the love of film as a vehicle to express all of this. The children and young people, especially the singers and actors, all non-professionals, shine. I like the main story teller who keeps fellow passengers entertained as they accompany the director in his search across the country for actors for a classical Tibetan opera Drime Kunden. The story teller's tale of his first love and how she ended up marrying someone else, is the story of how things don't always turn out as expected. Although love is everyone's dream, it is full of obstacles, much like those encountered when trying to stage the perfect opera. This is well worth seeing but could have benefitted from some editing as it is very long.

Air Doll - Kuki Ningyo

Air Doll is another fabulous film from Japan. The exquisite costuming of the star, an inflatable sex doll, and the new look at a puppet that comes to life, are terrific! Her discovery that having a heart hurts, resonates. As a sex doll, she is 'wooden', passive and flat as are the men in her life. As she becomes 'real', she asks questions and discovers beauty in the world around her. When she cuts herself, she deflates and then is 'rescued' by Junichi, who breathes life back into her. Flawed, she looks for connections: I've heard there are many others like me. Yet, she remains unconnected and while able to have 'mates', she is alone. Others seem to continue living very routine, mundane, ritualized lives, but she is not.

Two Films: Saturday Oct. 3. 2009

"Tibet in Song" describes the loss of folk ways and folk music in Tibet. It is the ongoing tragedy of Chinese cultural destruction of Tibetan people. Ngawang Choephel's documentary is a compelling one; the musicologist and Fulbright scholar is drawn back to his home to research and record Tibetan Folk music. He is arrested by the Chinese and sentenced to eighteen years in prison. His mother and other musicians take up the challenge to get him released. The music has been subverted by the Chinese and is used for propaganda. But not all music can be stolen and people still know it and retain it as a means of resistance. How to preserve it, teach it and keep its traditions alive are major challenges for Tibetan people. Even parts of this film were confiscated but what exists is passionate and alive.

Director Jessica Oreck's "Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo" is a visual and audio delight! The soundtrack is a compilation of many different kinds of Japanese music. A winner of the Special Jury Award for Artistic Vision, Cinevegas, 2009, this documentary details insects -how they look and sound - and the similarities between their world and ours. Japan's fascination with insects stems from its religious (Shinto) and cultural traditions. The children's delight at spotting insects in the woods, or fireflies at night, or in pet stores for $45. and their care of their 'pets' at home draws you closer and makes you laugh. While we often tend to avoid insects, their important role is undeniable.

Japan Film Night

On Tuesday, September 29th, the Consulate of Japan hosted two films: Women in the mirror and The Stars Converge. Women in the Mirror, by Kagami no Onna Tachi, tells the story of a woman who never gives up searching for her lost daughter and finds one who could be her but is suffering from Amnesia. The woman and her granddaughter are profoundly affected by the amnesiac, who enters their lives only to disappear again. Secrets from the past emerge: Who is the daughter's father and why was she so enraged when she first left home? How did Hiroshima shape their future? This film is powerful on many levels, especially in terms of relationships and history's effects on them.

The Stars Converge, by Chirusoku no Natsu, is about a first love relationship between a Japanese and a Korean. Young high-school athletes meet and fall in love. Will this love endure despite the obstacles of cultural and language differences, academic futures, familial opposition...? Energy, friendship and possibility make this film worth watching.

Journeys to the Vancouver Film Festival

Sept 29, 2009 was the day I saw my first Vancouver International Film Festival film at the Pacific Cinematheque: Trimpin: The Sound of Invention, directed by Peter Esmonde, USA. Awarded the MacArthur "Genius" Award in 1997, Trimpin is an inventor, a composer, a visual and sound experimenter and a truly amazing science-artist-musician. Raised in Germany, his formative years were shaped by a collection of technical manuals belonging to his grandfather and his father's cabinet and instrument making, plus his family's support of his fascination with machines, sound and all things scientific. He took things apart to see how they worked and then put them back together again. He heard all sounds as music, a different music and one he wanted to create and develop further. He has never been represented by a gallery and no records of his have been produced. Although he has exhibited and performed widely, the grants have not come easily and in the film, he shows filing cabinets full of rejected applications. Yet he persists and his life work continues. A 'symphony' with the Kronos Quartet was a truly creative and original process with no-one being quite sure where the production was headed, since it had never been done before, and with musicians having to learn all of the newly created instruments and ways of producing sound. Many of the instruments were toys, tiny and colourful yet made to produce music, a total collaborative, symphonic performance. Roots and Branches, a complete visual and musical installation at the Experience Music Project, in Seattle, features all shapes and sizes of guitars, suspended high in the air, tuning themselves by computer. Trimpin studied at the University of Berlin and continues to explore sonic possibilities. He moved to the USA to find old instruments and machines unavailable in Europe and has been based in Seattle since the 1980's. This is a 77 minute film that inspires one to find out more and to listen more attentively to everything.

SUMO SUMO SUMO!

We arrived at the Sumo Stadium at 8:00 to watch the preparation of the ring and the entrance of the Jr. Sumo Wrestlers. We had to wash our hands, a way of preventing the spread of Swine Flu. Our initial questions were patiently answered in English and we were told to make sure we were there at 2:00 for our special 'gift'. No-one stays all day - the final performance isn't until 6:00, so people get a stamp on their hand and are free to go in and out as they please.

The ring is covered in sand but it is carefully swept into patterns. Above it is a roof, a Shinto Shrine that has a tassel at each of its four corners, that represent the four seasons of the year. The wrestler (Rikishi) who touches his topknot or any part of his body to the ground, loses the match. There are no weight limits so a wrestler can be matched with a wrestler twice his size or weight. There are lots of rules: no hair pulling or eye poking, choking or kicking. Fair play is a must and Sumo Wrestling is almost a religious rite rather than the circus that WWF can be.

Sumos are introduced and bow to each other and to the referee and others at the beginning and end of the match. They throw salt onto the sand to purify it and they also stamp hard to ward off any evil demons. There are at least three to four levels of accomplishment and the highest ranked Sumo matches are the finale of the day. to Matches are very quick; there are over 98 ways to defeat or be defeated! Sumos are very polite and patient when faced with their fans and photographers and, they are very professional in the ring. There are no displays of temper although there are some false starts from those eager to get to the win.

A family or group of friends can have their own tatami seating or can choose individual seats. Everyone buys and brings snacks and drinks to the show. For lunch, people can buy boxed food or can have Sumo soup, like we did. Sumo soup has chicken, tofu and many vegies and is the hearty meal that everyone needs for the energy expended cheering the Sumos on.

Before lunch, we went for a walk along the sea wall and were impressed that the walls were painted and tiled with a variety of scenes: Olympic Sports, historical city stories, and pictures of children/students. The winning moves of Sumo Wrestlers were incorporated into the metal railing along the sea wall. The bridges, painted yellow, were the same color as those in the historical images of the city, long ago.

After lunch, we picked up our 'gift', an autographed souvenir from a Stable Master, Kokonoe Chiyono Fuji. Now when was the last time you went to a sports function and got a thank-you and a gift? We also entered Anthy's name for two free tickets to Sumo and we really hope she wins and gets to go!

Later on, we watched the process of the salaried, higher ranked Sumo. These men wear highly decorated 'aprons' which are beautifully made, expensive indicators of their success. They take command of the ring and are applauded by the audience as they are introduced by name.

We stay until after 6:00 to watch the closing ceremonies and to pick up the rest of the souvenirs. We are able to pick up English booklets that explain all about the Sumos and answer questions everyone has but were afraid to ask. We wish we could have the music that accompanied our Sumo Soup lunch and also would like a recording of the chanting that can be heard at the introduction of each match. We go home with a greater appreciation of an honorable profession Sumo Wrestling is.

Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered-A Fabulous Exhibition at Kyoto Museum of Modern Art

I have been writing up some visits to Fashion Museums in Kyoto and Kobe. The first one, Luxury in Fashion Reconsidered, is posted at clotheslinefinds.blogspot.com (April 24th) and the one for Kobe is going to be posted some time after May 5th. In Japan, all museums are in newly designed buildings or renovated heritage buildings. All have gardens, gift shops, restaurants and places for children and for large events. Most feature both permanent and special collections. Most are closed only on Mondays and there are discounts available at the museums and at bigger tourist information sites. A lot of advertising is done for all arts and cultural events and often includes an English language website.

We are now back in Tokyo, catching up on what we missed the first time around. We have a baseball game next Tuesday and a trip to Mt Fuji, with our friends, the Watanabes, Thursday. Still many adventures and more blogs before we come back to Vancouver, May 14th.