Yasukuni, a must see

Message from the Berlinale filmfestival, plus a link to the informations about this film, which will be shown in Japan from up April to my actual knowledge:

http://www.fdk-berlin.de/en/forum/program/main-program/yasukuni.html

A Chinese/Korean/Japanese coproduction, actually!

Yasukuni

The Yasukuni shrine, built in 1869, is a Shinto place of prayer in Tokyo. In Asia the shrine has become a political issue, since soldiers from all Japanese wars are recorded in the register of souls there - including some convicted war criminals. The place and its visitors are the focal point of this documentary. Nationalist demonstrations, protests, a violent altercation with a young Japanese peace activist, and the visit by the former prime minister Koizumi Junichiro, all presented without commentary, shed light in multiple ways on how Japan is dealing with its history. The leitmotiv of the film is an old sword smith´s work in the shrine's interior. In the end, he presents the finished sword in his hands, singing "Ode to the Japanese Sword."
The film by Chinese director Li Ying is a sensitive, critical, and respectful examination of Japanese history and culture. By editing his footage with archival material from the wars, of Kendo warriors, and of the Yasukuni shrine itself, Yasukuni - using the music of Henryk Gorecki's elegiac Third Symphony, which was composed for the 50th anniversary of Hitler's invasion of Poland - becomes a gripping and multifaceted document of the psyche of a nation.

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Addition from the official Berlinale pages:

In the Asian films there is a strong focus on Japan's dominance in 20th century Asian history. That's true for a film such as Yasukuni, which talks about the Yasukuni shrine – where all sorts of war criminals have been honoured since the 1970s – from the point of view of a Chinese man who has lived in Japan for years. The Japanese argue that they are simply honouring their dead who died for their country, and that it's not the business of foreign countries to interfere. The counterargument goes: If you honour war criminals, we can't take your apologies for war crimes seriously.

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Something that might interest you:
Right-wing groups threaten Japanese filmmakers

The film looks very interesting and have written it down for pursual.

If it wasn't for the Koreans and Chinese, I probably would have never known about Yasukuni..

It was a regular feature on Japanese TV when I lived their and bored me to death, which brings back memories of the Kobe train disaster..

Dutch Baka said:

Something that might interest you:
Right-wing groups threaten Japanese filmmakers

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THANK YOU very much for finding this!!
It does not come unexpectedly at all, I just had no time to ask Li any more, when we met. He surely would have told me! Thats why I got his card(further down). I will indeed contact him, as promised.
I also know Ulrich Gregor personally very well for years and know, how reliable he is, and that all Japanese people should honour him, for having shown the very first Japanese films here in Berlin!!
UG also for sure does as he says, and we will all be behind him as well, particularly the Japan lovers. And whoever threatens him for example, will loose almost all Japan-film-goers as Japan lovers. And we are many!
And the influences of this are all over the globe already, the film-archives are all well-connected and they will for sure show it anyhow, even more engaged.
The film does not even comment most of the time, but only watches the Japanese there (and you can thus have your own opinion), by which you can see, how very paranoid some are.

Japanese extremists etc. will shoot themselves, in case.

The points in the article are exactly my own, as you may remember. . .
maybe you understand it all a bit better now?. . .
Many thanks once more!



thats the poster, in this case Li's name card, minus his adress (for safety's sake)

Kyoto Returnee said:

The film looks very interesting and have written it down for pursual.

If it wasn't for the Koreans and Chinese, I probably would have never known about Yasukuni..

It was a regular feature on Japanese TV when I lived their and bored me to death, which brings back memories of the Kobe train disaster..

Click to expand...

The whole world will know about it all very soon.

It does in fact remind us Germans highly on Neo Nazis, who also assembled at certain places. . .
Its not, that we don't have them ourselves, but the vast majority would be very happy, if the world could help us against similar movements.
Ulrich Gregor, who is really old enough to have seen what happened after the war in Germany, is so very right in what he says.

This does not mean, that we are against pride about our good sides though. But it must not destroy any identities, if you connect with the rest of the world (nor be against necessary changes). In fact, it can even strengthen this, if both sides, own identity and openness for others is implied.
Only weak characters have to defend and fight. Others just compare, sort it out and then share.

While every honest sorry would be welcome and understood.

In the Yasukuni, for example, several names of people are seen, that their families do not want to be there. From several countries even, not just Japan. And some people come again and again to ask to get them out. No reactions except ignorance and rejection from the shrine side. Its simply unbelievable. This would not happen here for long, be sure!

There are many graves etc. from soldiers around the world, but I do think, if many of these soldiers would know, what they should support, they would not like it. Those who do, may have their place then. But so many have been forced into war, in Japan even the priests! (here probably too) And yet, they cannot even get their own sons out of the shrine!
If such places would be neutral, OK, but using them for manipulations. . . what can be more tasteless.

This may well become a wider issue, than just a Japanese one though. We all have to correct and sort out a lot, I suppose. Only fair then.

Insofar this film goes far beyong just the Japanese problem and is very important!

Did he metion that China had been mysteriously silent on this matter till the mid-1980 even after many PMs visited there?
It is an irony and the reality that he has live in Japan for years, 20 years. After the Tiananmen, many Chinese students chose to stay in Japan, some became entrepreneurs, some film directors in Japan.
You don't need to demonise Japan much.
Anyways, the movie will be aired from April here.
http://www.yasukuni-movie.com/
A media coverage of press conference in Tokyo

The film was not about China, just all around the Shrine and as a leading story, that of the swordsmith there. The rest was filming on the site too with no comments at all, just watching, plus related documents for understandings, probably even from the shrine museum itself.

The main adress for the film is Beijing, by the way, but it was very well as much sponsored by Japanese. . .

20 years makes it a move from him to Japan before the Tian An Men. Right?

Thus it is clearly not related. Also his ties with China are not cut.
And Chinese people have been in Japan long before this, in general.
I know plenty myself.
And in the 80ties, for example Zhang Ymou even got a big prize in Japan for his acting in a Chinese film in Japan! (I met him short after personally, in Berlin) Also his film "Red Shorgum" was not objected, despite most violent scenes (skinnings) done by Japanese soldiers.
And yes, I know many of those filmdirectors myself, that you mentioned. Many were here and mostly had ties in several countries, and still have, all ways round.
Their networkings and helps for each other were and are great!

As for the showings in Pusan, that filmfestival is one of the most important ones in Asia, all Asia, to be correct. Thus its far from being a Korean etc. conspiracy, if anyone wishes to think this way.

Its not me who demonises, IT is, thats all.

OK, now to the links. . .pity, that I cannot read them, only bits and pieces, but thanks anyhow!