The Search for Onada

This is a fascinating story and here is an opportunity to hear it from the horses mouth.
Hiroo Onoda surrendered on a small island in the Philippines 30 years after his country surrendered to the USA to end the second world war. 
The mind boggles when you imagine the scenario.
But this doco is more than just looking at this aspect.
Here is a chance to hear from the islanders who were impacted by his secret campaign of guerrilla warfare, his fight for survival, driven by his loyalty to the emperor. 
It wasn't just 30 years of a monk in a cave, this was a soldier who performed his duty and continued his war. Mia Viaña Stewart has access to the people who lived on the island through her family and this presents a unique insider's/islanders view on the story.
The third intriguing element to this story is the question of why did the Japanese post Onoda on this island, what was the purpose, what was the strategic advantage of such posting? and this is where some conspiracy/myth elements can enter the story. Was there really a stash of gold to guard? or was it something else?
To find out the documentary needs to be completed and this is where you can help as Mia is running a modest pozible crowdfunder. This will be a love job but it still needs funds to complete

Kinoko Hotel

Meanwhile somewhere in Japan...

Tokyo FILMEX 2012

Okay, so now I wanna go to Japan!

A wee bit late, may have missed the boat but still could fly there.

What a program, What a festival. Tokyo FILMEX 2012

The creme de la creme of Asian Cinema but only nine films in competition?

Ahha but 14 films in special screenings!

Here's a little run down on some of the South Korean & Japanese gems

Hong Sang soo's In Another Country is the opening film and he was a there for a Q&A. This is an extraordinarily witty film with the addition of English dialogue from Isabelle Huppert presence making for some fantastic cross conversations and quite awkward situations. For me it was evidence of evolution of filmmaker and thus I see it totally as fitting to be an opening film for a good look'n festival.

Moon Sori, Hong Sangsoo, French actress Isabelle Huppert,  Yu Jun Sang                                                                             and Youn Yuh-jung arrive for the screening of "In Another Country." at Canne 2012

Also in Japan.
Hong Sang soo has four films touring the country, described as a 'roadshow'. Sounds like the surf movie exhibition route of traveling the coast of Australia during summer? Hahaha, Like You Know It All, Oki‘s Movie and The Day He Arrives. The roadshow started at Cinemart Shinjuku, Tokyo on November 18th. After 6 weeks in Tokyo, the roadshow will move to Osaka and continue for 3 weeks. Then it will progress to other cities including Nagoya, Kyoto and Fukuoka.

But back to Filmex, here's a bit of a coup, Sion Sono's Bad Film is getting it's premier.
Shot in 1995 on Hi8 it was never finished! That is until this year, 17 years later and apparently sourced from 150hrs of footage, this is one that I would love to see.
Stunning, awe-inspiring, masterwork are some of the adjectives used to describe this film.

161min of pure experimental Sion Sono

I'm excited. It's political, it's activism, it's about China and Japan. It stars Tokyo GAGAGA
It's a good year when they release Bad Film.

Ok and now back to Korea, the one that roared at Venice this year, with some controversy but hell I still wanna see it that's for sure.
Kim Ki Duk's - Pieta
The first South Korean film to win the ol' Golden Lion. It's a film about mum and son but that's really under selling it.

Two of his other films are on my to see list. The auto biographical doco Arirang and one I almost saw at KOFFIA this year Spring Summer Autumn  Winter...and Spring

 

No doubt I've missed some beauties in this years line up but hey if you just saw these three in a week it'd be a pretty darn good one. eh? just another good reason to visit Japan. but hurry!