A Japanese actress living in the United States is making a documentary film about geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto amid a growing interest overseas, partly due to the recent Hollywood film Memoirs of a Geisha, known as Sayuri in Japan.
The filmmaker, Miyuki Sohara, aims to realistically depict the widely misunderstood world of geisha in her film Hannari. She has finished shooting footage in the traditional hanamachi entertainment districts of Kyoto and plans to finish filming in February.
Sohara has filmed geisha elegantly dancing, entertaining customers at tea houses and diligently practicing dance and shamisen along with maiko. She has also interviewed mistresses of tea houses, who are revealed to be very strict with geisha and maiko, but also caring.
The film shows how modern geisha and maiko earn wages without relying on patrons, as was the custom in the past. It also introduces the skills of artisans who make folding fans or obi sashes.
Sohara, who is from Miyazaki Prefecture, moved to the United States nine years ago after working as a TV announcer. She has played geisha in films and TV dramas, and takes lessons in Japanese dance and etiquette in Kyoto several times a year.
However, because negative stereotypes exist about geisha in the United States and other countries, Sohara wanted to make a film that would help set the record straight. She raised money for the film on her own and began shooting with a staff of eight in Kyoto and other locations in April.
Initially, people in the entertainment districts were reluctant to help Sohara because they thought the film would fuel further misunderstanding. However, they were soon swayed by the filmmaker's enthusiasm and helped her get a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of geisha.
Sohara plans to show the film at international film festivals, saying she wants people to feel the warmth of the geisha world.