[REPORT] SSFF & ASIA 2017 in OSAKA, Hitomi Kuroki attended a special talk event!
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia Osaka 2017 is held for 3 days from Sep 16-18th at Knowledge Capital of Grand Front Osaka.
The Osaka festival celebrates its 5th edition.
For every first screening during the festival, the festival offers “Subway” sandwich to the audiences on first come first served basis. It’s a nice way to start your morning with films along with tasty sandwich!
The festival kicked-off with “Focus on Japan” Program including short films produced by SSFF & ASIA.
Prominent actress and the director of “Wakareuta (Parting Song)”, Hitomi Kuroki, attended a special talk event
following the screening.
“Wakareuta” is about a woman in her fifties who wonders why a boy who was sweet on her, back in her high school days, brought a guitar with him on their school trip.
After 38 years, glimpses of memories start to revealing themselves.
It’s a short film depicting in bitter-sweet, and sometimes harsh, tones the partings all those years ago, and a series of reunions in adulthood, with the aroma of coffee in the air, with “Parting Song” sung by Miyuki Nakajima.
The MC asked director Kuroki how a famous actress, also a former star of “Takarazuka Revue”, came to direct a short film.
“I met Mr. Takaoka, CEO of Nestle Japan in a talk event, and I told him the story of a boy who sung “Parting Song” with his guitar during my high-school school trip many years ago.
I had never talked to him before, but during the trip in the train, we talked and talked through the night.
I had the impression that I might start to like him.
Then, Mr. Takaoka said, “It’s a beautiful story. Let’s make it into a short film, and you are the director!”
Director Kuroki then said, “Then, during the shooting of the film, I suddenly remembered that the song the boy sung was not “Parting Song,” but “Sake and Man and Bar.”
I don’t know why I thought it was “Parting Song,” but it was many years ago, and the memory was vague.”
She laughed by saying, “If I had told Mr. Takaoka about the story of a boy who sung “Sake and Man and
Bar,” he might not have asked me to make it into a short film!”
Director Kuroki also mentioned that cassette record/player that appears in the film is actually her own.
“I still have it. When I was in high school, in the late seventies, I used to record songs from radio and television. I
remember when I was recording a song of Momoe Yamaguchi in front of the television, it was a bit hard to exclude such noise as my mother’s voice from another room saying “go on hurry to take the bath!”
Regarding the attraction of short films, Kuroki said, “I was lucky to have participated at Short Shorts as a member of jury last year. For the first time, I saw so many short films, something like 70 shorts, and one of my most favorite shorts was “Sing,” which won Grand-Prix last year, and the film went on to win the Oscar at the Academy Awards this year.”
I was the one who pushed and recommended the film to win Grand Prix, whereas other jury members wanted other films.
In the end, we all agreed that “Sing” to be Grand Prix, so I am very proud of it.”
She also said, “By watching many shorts, I could learn and started to see how a certain feature films can be short films, and vice versa.”
After this program, we had “Kids” program in which many children came to see the screening.
We noticed that many adult couples also attend the program.
Also 6 shorts films of “Cinema Fighters” had its Osaka premiere today.
This project is dedicated to expressing EXILE TRIBE’s music and is directed by filmmakers who are currently in the spotlight.
EXILE TRIBE is a group of artists who are leading the entertainment industry of 21st century Japan. LDH, its chairman EXILE HIRO and Founder/President of Short Shorts, Tetsuya Bessho, have formed a collaboration.
The theater was really packed with so many people who have long waited to see these shorts.
So, the first day of SSFF & ASIA OSAKA 2017 was a great success, and it is definitely a precious opportunity to see short films from all over the world.
We look forward to meeting you at Knowledge Capital of Grand Front Osaka! Please remember that all screenings are for free of charge.