REVIEW: Freeter's Distress

遭難フリーター (Sounan furiitaa)

Released: 2007

Director:
Hiroki Iwabuchi

Starring:
Hiroki Iwabuchi

Producer:
Yutaka Tsuchiya

Running time: 67 min.



Reviewed by Chris MaGee

The term freeter started up in Japan in the late 80's as a combination of "free" or "freelance" and the German word for "worker", or arbeiter. At first those dubbed freeters were people who freely chose to avoid the regular 9 to 5 day jobs of so many Japanese in order to focus on personal pursuits, but once the Bubble Economy burst in the early 90's the low-paying part-time jobs favoured by these young men and women became less a matter of choice than of necessity and freeter became the blanket term for a whole generation of young people who could no longer share in the Japan's Economic Miracle of the previous decades. While the economy did end up rebounding for a time (only to take another beating during the recent global economic downturn) deregulation of labour laws by the Koizumi government led to more and more employers saving money by hiring temp and contract staff instead of full-time employees. Of course this phenomena has gone global in the past decade or so, but the number of workers categorized as freeters in Japan is astounding: 1.6 million, or 1 out of 5 of Japan's able-bodied workforce, are forced to take jobs without benefits, sick leave, consistent pay raises, and hourly wages that are just above the poverty line. If you're Japanese and below the age of 24 the situation is even more bleak: 1 out of 2 are forced into these jobs and have become the working poor of today's Japan. The idea of putting a face to those 1.6 million individuals would seem nearly impossible, but 25-year-old Hiroki Iwabuchi did just that by picking up a digital camcorder and chronicling his life in the documentary "Freeter's Distress".

Iwabuchi, a University graduate from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture moved to Saitama to be closer to the city of his boyhood and teenage dreams - Tokyo. The only thing is that life isn't as easy in the big city as he had imagined. Iwabuchi signed on with an employment agency that got him a job at the Canon factory in suburban Saitama where he does work that he describes as something "a smart monkey could be trained to do", fixing plastic lids on printer ink cartridges for ¥1,250 (roughly $14.85 CAD) per hour. Not great pay, but not bad either; but when you consider that Tokyo is the second most expensive city to live in in the world (right behind Moscow) Iwabuchi's situation becomes very grim. Even though Canon has set him up in a subsidized company dorm Iwabuchi is only left with ¥6,000 ($71.60 CAD) a month after he pays his rent, bills and student loan payments. It's beyond a tight squeeze and he's left living off plain noodles and junk food while he rides to and from work on a bike owned by his employment agency. The daily round of sleep, eat, work with nearly nothing to show for it leaves him depressed and questioning exactly what he's doing with his life. For a time he joins demonstrations put on by other disenfranchised workers, and while he's momentarily energized by the crowds and the chaos he doubts if these marches will change anything for him. They don't actually and Iwabuchi ends up taking a series of quick, one-off jobs (sign holder, book packer, mover) just to try and make a bit more money to eat. All the while he has his camcorder recording and it's the making of this film that makes his dismal existence, and our witnessing of it, bearable.

A casual viewer of "Freeter's Distress" might easily dismiss it as the moaning of a young man who refuses to just pull himself up by his boot straps and land himself a better job. The daily grind has definitely demoralized and disillusioned Iwabuchi and he's not going to win any "glass is half full" awards. It's his camcorder though, which he ingeniously uses to capture the minutia of his day to day existence (balancing on the handle bars of his bike, setting it to record himself appearing on the news, placing it at his feet while he ties his shoes), that belies Iwabuchi's true idealism and desire to transform his life. A truly hopeless person would give up and give in and never attempt anything as ambitious as making a film. This film is Iwabuchi pulling himself up by his boot straps. It's a work of hope.

Some credit for "Freeter's Distress" does have to be given to producer Yutaka Tsuchiya and advisor Karin Amamiya, both of the politically-motivated Video Act collective and creative collaboraters on such documentaries as "The New God" and "Peep 'TV' Show", for assisting Iwabuchi in the making of his film, but at no point during "Freeter's Distress" do we get the feeling that Iwabuchi is parroting any of Tsuchiya's and Amamiya's left-leaning rhetoric. His attitude, while often confused as to how to proceed, is fairly pragmatic. With his hand to mouth existence he doesn't have the luxury of pointless pontification. Iwabuchi's situation isn't that different from the plight of working poor in any developed nation: he wants something more, wants to feel valued and respected, and hates the fact that his situation denies him both, or should I say denied him both. Since the filming of "Freeter's Distress" Iwabuchi has taken his cinematic self portrait to film festivals around the world, had it released domestically earlier this year in Japan, and has now proven himself to be a keen and creative documentary filmmaker. Maybe this is the opportunity that he has waited so long for. I certainly think so.

Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto receives France's National Order of the Legion of Honor

by Chris MaGee

57-year-old composer Ryuichi Sakamoto was on hand at the French Embassy in Tokyo Thursday to receive the France's most prestigious decoration, The National Order of the Legion of Honour. Many of you will know Sakamoto for his film score for and performance in Nagisa Oshima's 1983 film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" as well as for Oshima's 1999 film "Gohatto" and Jun Ichikawa's "Tony Takitani". Sakamoto also won the Oscar for Best Original Score for Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film "The Last Emperor".

Sakamoto told the assembled guests and press of the influence of composer Claude Debussy and filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard on his work, stating that, "Through my music, I hope to repay the debt I owe [French culture]."

Congratulations goes out to Sakamoto, and to commemorate this auspicious occasion we leave you with his instantly recognizable theme from Oshima's "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence". Thanks to Japan Zone for the details on this story.

Get ready for an Olympic-sized laugh with "Tokyo OnlyPic 2008"

by Chris MaGee

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I've sat through and marveled at Kon Ichikawa's nearly 3-hour epic documentary of the 1964 Olympic Games "Tokyo Olympiad". How could you not? It's more of a testament to the human spirit, frozen in moments of victory and in defeat, but it were those moments of defeat that got Ichikawa into trouble with the Japanese government. They financed the film and they wanted to see more gold medals and less slow-motion runners up so the edited the hell out of it.

Why do I bring up "Tokyo Olympiad"? Well, because I couldn't help think of it, and what the Japanese governemnt of 1965 would have thought of a film like "Tokyo OnlyPic 2008". Currently screening in Montreal at Fantasia the film is made up of various "Olympic events" created by animators like Takanobu Mizuno, Toru Hosokawa, Takashi Taniguchi, and Hiroyuki Nakao amongst many others. The Race for Love, Giant Sumo Wrestling, the Womens' Hell Marathon, all of these events can be witnessed in "OnlyPic", but of all that I've seen from the film nothing is more flat out hilarious than the 10-minute opening ceremony complete with dancing pigeons, a very sadistic take on the Olympic flame relay run and... well, don't let me spoil it for you. Check it out below while it's still on YouTube. It's comedy gold! Olympic gold that is...

REVIEW: Ornamental Hairpin

簪 (Kanzashi)

Released: 1941

Director:
Hiroshi Shimizu

Starring:
Shinichi Himori
Kanji Kawara
Hiroko Kawasaki
Chishu Ryu
Tatsuo Saito

Running time:75 min.


Reviewed by Marc Saint-Cyr

"Ornamental Hairpin" wonderfully illustrates Hiroshi Shimizu’s gift for unobtrusive storytelling. Written by Kihan Nagase from a short story by Masuji Ibuse, its narrative is built upon a series of occurrences and details that would probably be dismissed as inadequate or unimportant by another filmmaker, but here, enable a light, pleasant and poignant exploration of characters and themes.

The film opens in a forest of towering trees straight out of "Rashômon". Traveling through it is a band of pilgrims, among them a young woman named Emi. They make a brief stop at a resort where Shimizu introduces us to a number of its other patrons. Most prominent among them are Nanmura, a soldier on leave (played by an incredibly young, tousle-haired Chishu Ryu); Hiroyasu, a meek but kindly man; his wife and the stern, intimidating Professor Katae who complains about everything from the resort’s faults to the noise caused by other guests. One day, while soaking in a spring, Nanmura hurts his foot on a dropped hairpin. The incident causes Emi to come back to the resort and claim responsibility as the pin’s owner, and during her prolonged stay, she forms a friendship with the odd band of visitors – as well as feelings of longing for Nanmura.

The film’s lightweight plot subtly progresses from one point of interest to another. The first act mainly revolves around the troublesome hairpin and the mystery of its owner. Nanmura, the professor and the others speculate about what she’s really like (especially in terms of appearance) while an exchange of letters reveals her plans to return and apologize in person. Once she arrives, the other guests, under the professor’s guidance (or, given his bossy nature, authority), accommodate Emi as best they can, in a way orchestrating a romantic relationship between her and Nanmura. To do so, they switch around their room arrangements and discuss how to preserve his “poetic illusion” of her, leading to a hilarious exchange between an awkward, well-meaning Hiroyasu and an increasingly perplexed Nanmura.

As some of the characters are all too perfectly aware, the inn is a perfect little world of its own, governed by logic and daily routine. One amusing repeated activity is the “walking exercise” that Nanmura undertakes each day with the help of Emi and two children, Taro and Jiro, to test his healing foot. Coached and cheered on by them, he starts off trying to beat his daily records in a grassy clearing, then later moves up to a more precarious bridge across a river. Many fun comedic scenes are sprinkled throughout the film, such as when the kids root for their grandfather in a snoring competition and the professor repeatedly scolds Hiroyasu for depending on his wife for approval and advice.

However, "Ornamental Hairpin" contains its share of bittersweet moments as well. Most of them stem from Emi as the details of her difficult situation back in Tokyo are gradually revealed. The sharpest pain comes from the film’s final scenes, reminding you of the sad thing about all vacations: they end. The close-knit group of guests form a makeshift committee (with the professor appointed as the head, naturally) and agree to continue to meet after they all leave the inn, but Emi is consumed with an undeniable sadness when she realizes that Nanmura too must leave. Uncertain about her own future, she clings to her memories, giving the film a melancholy-laced finale.

Shimizu doesn’t rip your heart out or drive you to tears as you watch "Ornamental Hairpin". Instead, as he does in other films of his, he merely gets you to slow down and savor a passing moment of happiness or the joy of meeting fellow travelers – and realize how temporary such things can truly be. At only 70 minutes, the film itself possesses its own elusive quality, but is undeniably worth every second.

Read more by Marc Saint-Cyr at his blog.

"Rashomon 4K" like a "pane of glass into the world of the film"

by Chris MaGee

We've been following the digital restoration of Akira Kurosawa's groundbreaking 1950 film "Rashomon" for quite some time now (read our full coverage here. Unlike here in North America very few films have gotten a digitial restoration, only three others in fact - Kenji Mizoguchi's "Shin heike monogatari (The Taira Clan)", Keisuke Kinoshita's "Twenty-four Eyes" and Yoshitaro Nomura's "Castle of Sand" - but it's a bit of a no brainer that of all Japanese films that "Rashomon" would get this very special treatment. It was the film that many cinema historians have dubbed "the film that introduced the world to Japanese film" after all.

"Rashomon 4K", as this new digital restoration has been nicknamed, has only been screened a few times since it was completed last year. It screened Tokyo last October and just recently it was featured at the 6th Annual Skip City International D-Cinema Festival in Kawaguchi City, Saitama. Japanese film industry insider and fellow blogger Jason Gray was lucky enough to be in the audience for this screening and his reaction was that watching this newly restored "Rashomon" was "like looking through a giant pane of glass into the world of the film." I greatly respect Jason's opinion so when he goes on about "Every tear that rolls down Kyô Machiko's cheeks, every drop of sweat on Mifune's brow and every whisker on Shimura Takashi's chin," I sit up and listen, and you should too.

To get a full report on the splendor of this new digital print of one of the most important films in cinema history visit Jason Gray's blog here.

Weekly Trailers

The Hiding - Shozin Fukui (2008)

From the man who brought us the violent excesses of "Pinocchio 964" and "Rubber's Lover" comes "The Hiding". A young woman tries to start over after leaving her boyfriend, but she is befriended by a telepathic woman in her new apartment building and things go from bad to much, much worse. This one isn't entirely work safe, so viewers beware...




World Apartment Horror - Katsuhito Otomo (1991)

Here's a project with a dream creative team: written by animator Satoshi Kon (Paprika), starring Hiroyuki Tanaka, a.k.a Sabu (Unlucky Monkey, The Blessing Bell), and directed by Katsuhito Otomo, the creator of "Akira". With that kind of clout you'd think that 1991's "World Apartment Horror", a hilarious satire about a yakuza thug sent to bully a group of immigrants out of a haunted tenement, would have seen a North American DVD release a long time ago, but it hasn't... and that makes me very confused.

REVIEW: Shinobi No Mono 3: Resurrection

新・忍びの者 (Shin shinobi no mono)

Released: 1963

Director:
Kazuo Mori

Starring:
Raizô Ichikawa
Ayako Wakao
Saburo Date
Chikako Hosokawa
Yoshiro Kitahara

Running time: 86 min.

Reviewed by Matthew Hardstaff

When we last saw Ishikawa Goemon at the end of "Shinobi No Mono 2: Vengeance", he was about to be boiled alive in a giant pot of boiling water. Of course, Goemon, being a ninja isn’t so easily disposed of. Its interesting to note that the folk tale of Goemon ends with his death at the hands of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, after his failed assassination attempt, and he is indeed boiled alive in that oh so large pot. So where could the series go, with six more films left? Part three, "Shinobi No Mono 3: Resurrection", pretty much sees the end of the Goemon story arc, and actor Ichikawa Raizo changes roles, playing Kirigakure Saizo in the following five films. And with such an amazing cliffhanger at the end of part two, you’d expect that there would be some amazing resolution. Wouldn’t you?

With the help of Hattori Hanzo, and several smoke bombs, Goemon is quickly switched with that of some helpless criminal, and while it appears Goemon is boiled alive, he is quickly whisked away. After spending days in hiding, he slowly plots his revenge, still focused on killing Toyotomi for the death of his son Gohei. However Goemon is a changed man. Previously, he believed the gods where on his side, and that Toyotomi would suffer in the flames of hell. But since his failure to assassinate the lord, he sees the god’s as a sham. If karmic retribution existed, Goemon would have succeeded. Instead, he failed and was rescued by his enigmatic rival. He curses Buddha, and sets out to kill Toyotomi on his own, turning down all help, so that he can end Toyotomi’s life with his own two hands. Of course, he wants to ensure Toyotomi knows his death is coming. Goemon’s ‘head’, which is on display in the city square, disappears, and strange events, blamed on the ghost of Goemon, start to occur in the city surrounding Toyotomi. Goemon wants to play with his prey. Of course, things aren’t always as straightforward as they appear to be, and Ieyasu Tokugawa constantly lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to destroy Toyotomi, so that he may rule the country.

This films marks the first time that director Satsuo Yamamoto steps out of the directors chair, replaced with Kazuo Mori. Both would go one to direct films in the Zatoichi film series, and cinematically, their styles are pretty similar. The film, ultimately following Goemon’s path of revenge, is at its core a very simplistic one, far more so than the previous two films, but writer Hajime Takaiwa, who scribed most of the films, injects it with a ridiculous amount of intrigue and lurking, that at times can boggle the mind. The resolution to the climatic finale of the first film is also somewhat lackluster. Of course, what it lacks in some areas, it makes up for in ninja battles and stealthy tactics. While it’s definitely not as great as the second film, which I personally enjoy the most out of the series, it is still a solid, if somewhat rushed, resolution to the story of Ishikawa Goemon and a fine addition to the series.

Read more by Matthew Hardstaff at his blog.

Monumental festival to bring all 100 of Raizo Ichikawa's films to the screen

by Chris MaGee

With Matt Hardstaff already weighing in on Raizo Ichikawa and his film "Shinobi No Mono 3: Resurrection" I thought it was only right to briefly touch on an event taking place in Tokyo in honour of the late star. Today, July 17th, marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Ichikawa. The much-loved film and kabuki actor who starred in 100 films in his 14 year career succumbed to cancer in 1969 at the age of 37.

To commemorate this screen legend from the golden age of jidaigeki and ninja films a monumental film festival will be taking place this October in Shinjuku. Titled "Botsugo 40 nen tokubetsu kikaku dai raizou sai", (roughly translated to "The great 40 year Raizo death memorial festival") will not just feature one or two dozen of the actor's films. It's going to feature all of them! That's right, all 100 of Raizo Ichikawa's films will be screening including Kon Ichikawa's "Enjo (Conflagration)", his "Sleepy Eyes of Death", the "Nakano Spy School" series and of course the "Shinobi no Mono" films.

How long this will take, I'd hate to guess... 100 days I suppose. Details are a bit sketchy on this as my dismal Japanese isn't really up to the task of translating the entire article on the fest that was posted this morning at Japanese film website CinemaToday.jp. For those of you with a good grasp of written Japanese you can get more details here.

Ultraman + Scatman = ?

There are two things that you shouldn't probably mash up together. One is our favorite 40-metre high crusader for justice Ultraman and the other is 1994 euro dance one-hit wonder Scatman. Sadly enough somebody thought it would be a good idea to put these two things together and this is the result. We apologize in advance...

Thanks (?) to Watashi to Tokyo for this.

REVIEW: Sada

SADA: 戯作・阿部定の生涯 (SADA: Gesaku Abe Sada no shougai)

Released: 1998

Director:
Nobuhiko Obayashi

Starring:
Hitomi Kuroki
Tsurutaro Kataoka
Norihei Miki
Kippei Shiina

Running time: 132 min.

Reviewed by Marc Saint-Cyr

I think it’s fair to say that at this point any film about Sada Abe faces the high risk of being compared to 1976’s "In the Realm of the Senses". That take on her story earns its exemplary status not only for its famous non-simulated sex scenes, but also Nagisa Oshima’s masterful direction. But the legendary case (in which, in the year of 1936, Sada became so erotically infatuated with a man that she killed him by strangulation to heighten their pleasure during lovemaking and, afterwards, cut off his member and kept it as a token of affection) is so fascinating that it certainly deserves to be examined and interpreted from different points of view, Oshima’s, as great as it is, merely being one.

Fortunately, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s "Sada" takes the smart approach and provides a completely different and unique version of the story of Sada Abe. First of all, it immediately sets out to look beyond just the 1936 case, presenting a much wider profile of Sada and her life. Surely enough, the first image of her shows her as a child shortly before the film jumps to 1919 when she was fourteen, had her first sexual encounter and, as she claims through the voiceover narration, her story truly started. From there, Sada proceeds to highlight certain events and figures from her life that have been overlooked in the past, most notably the character of Okada, a young man who was a close friend to her before, being afflicted with Hansen’s disease, he was sent away to an island institute. One image shows the two of them sitting together with their bare feet stretched out in front of them, a little smile on her face as she nibbles a doughnut and rests her head on his shoulder: a perfect image of innocence. Later, when Okada says goodbye to her one rainy day, he mimes cutting out his heart and giving it to her to keep – a gesture that more fully explains her similar action in the 1936 incident (during which, as the film interestingly implies, Sada was still very much concerned about Okada and his whereabouts). Also explored in depth are her relationships with her parents and Tachibana, a school principal and client of his who supports her. Through such details and Hitomi Kuroki’s impressive portrayal, Sada is depicted as a more humanized and emotionally sensitive figure than the unfair sensationalist image of her as a castrating dragon lady. Along those same lines, her fiery affair with Tatsuzo Kikumoto (named Kichizo in Oshima’s film and here fittingly described as “the fateful man”) and its tragic outcome rightfully continue to be shown not as acts of anger or jealousy, but of love.

As in "In the Realm of the Senses", style acts as a filter through which the story is delivered, but "Sada’s" is significantly more elaborate and flamboyant. Right at the start of the film, a mustached man (later revealed to be a friend of Sada’s) walks onscreen, directly greets the audience members and welcomes them to the film they are about to see. From there, the film piles up a slew of stylistic elements such as abrupt switches between black-and-white and color, drastic camera movements, unusual shot angles, slow motion, fast motion, exaggerated acting, blatantly artificial backdrops and more. Such experimentation is often deployed in a spirit of fun, anything-goes glee, such as when Sada gives a lively shamisen performance only to be interrupted by the Great Earthquake of 1923, or later when she and Tatsuzo’s ridiculous-looking wife duke it out in pure Looney Tunes fashion. The film’s overall tone is light and peppy, though seriousness is maintained when it is due (the later half is built around interview segments as Sada is questioned about her relationship with Tatsuzo by an interrogator). This distinctive, highly unique form creates a contradictory effect with the material it presents: while "Sada" aims to provide more insight into this woman, these extravagant techniques situate it in a cinematic fantasy world in which the facts are inevitably distorted.

Though it sheds more light on Sada Abe and her life, "Sada" ultimately continues to build up the mythic legacy surrounding her. As I mentioned in a previous review, people love to hear the same stories over and over again, and if the story is as interesting and compelling as Sada’s, all the better. Not to be placed above or below "In the Realm of the Senses" so much as alongside it, Obayashi’s interpretation is a fine film on its own, reveling in her tale and containing enough energy and creativity to make it a worthwhile and enjoyable pursuit.

Read more by Marc Saint-Cyr at his blog.

Tons of anime and more at the 62nd Annual Locarno International Film Festival

by Chris MaGee

The Locarno International Film Festival, held annually in Switzerland at the foot of the Alps, has a reputation for programming high brow, art house fare and this year's line-up certainly bears that out; but Japanese film fans will notice that the festival programmer have assembled an impressive selection of anime for guests this August. Check out this list of films:

Pom Poko - Isao Takahata
Redline - Takeshi Koike
Mobile Suit Gundam - Ryoji Fujiwara/ Yoshiyuki Tomino
Summer Wars - Mamoru Hosoda
La Maison en petits cubes - Kunio Kato

Japan isn't just being represented by animation at Locarno this year though Masahiro Kobayashi's "Where Are You?" and Takuya Dairiki and Takashi Miura's "Nikotoko Island" will also be premiering - but the lion's share of Japanese representation comes via the animated route.

Of all those anime films represented Koike's "Redline" has me most intrigued. Koike previosuly directed the "World Record" segment of the "Animatrix" collection, and "Redline's" story of a deadly car race was co-written by "Funky Forest" and "The Taste of Tea" director Katsuhito Ishii. Check out the trailer below... but hold onto your seats!

Check out more on this year's Locarno International Film Festival at its official website here. Thanks to Quiet Earth for pointing the way to this.

Rights for "Love Exposure" and "Battle League Harumo" get snapped up

by Chris MaGee

You won't find two more different films thatn Sion Sono's "Love Exposure" and Katsuhide Motoki's "Kamogawa Horumo: Battle League in Kyoto". One is a 4-hour epic that deals with religion, cults, martial arts and upskirt photography, while the other is a big screen adaptation of the Manabu Makime novel about a group of Kyoto university students who use magical sprites to do battle with each other. What both of these films have in common, though, is that they are both being released on DVD with English subs by companies with stellar reputations.

UK-based Third Window Films, who have previously released "Memories of Matsuko" and "Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers! " has picked up the rights to "Love Exposure" and will be giving the film its UK debut at this year's Raindance Film Festival in October with plans for a DVD release early next year. Meanwhile Viz Pictures will be screening "Battle League Harumo" at this year's Fantastic Fest with a DVD release in 2010.

Thanks to Third Window Film's Adam Torel and Anime News Network for the details on these two releases.

A new animated feature from Studio Ghibli to be released next year

by Chris MaGee

If you, like me, are a fan of the works of Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata then news that a new feature film will be released next year from Studio Ghibli is more than enough to get your pulse racing a bit. According to Anime News Network Ghibli's official blog Itsumo no Ghibli Nikki (The Habitual Ghibli Diary) broke the news on July 10th. Now begins the wild speculation a to what this film will be and who will be helming it.

Could this be the long rumoured return of Isao Takahata, the man who brought us "Grave of the Fireflies" and "Pom Poko"? Last year there was word that he was planning on basing a film on old Japanese lullabies. Interesting... Or could this be a new project from Hayao's son Goro Miyazaki. There were rumours in September that he would be tackling the works of Japanese novelist Yoshie Hotta, but thus far no news of this project have surfaced.

The report at Anime News Network does mention that Miyazaki himself is saying that this new project will have "young staffers" behind them, so that would take 73-year-old Takahata out of the equation, but not Goro Miyazaki. I guess we'll have to wait until next year to find out for sure. Damn rumours! They vex me so....!

Director Takako Miyahira goes "Looking for Anne" in her new film

by Chris MaGee

The Japanese fascination with Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic children's novel "Anne of Green Gables" is well known. Millions of copies of the adventures of the ginger-haired girl from Avonlea have been sold in Japan, fan clubs for the book have been formed, and tours of Prince Edward Island geared specifically to these fans have been going on for years. Now director Takako Miyahira has made this obsession with Montgomery's creation the crux of a film.

"Looking for Anne" stars Kazuko Yoshiyuki as Anri, a shy young Japanese woman who has come to P.E.I. on a quest: to find an old soldier who lives at the foot of a lighthouse. Well, this isn't any old soldier. This man was the lover of her grandmother in the days following the end of WW2, and he was the one who first gave her a copy of "Anne of Green Gables". With the help of a middle-aged owner of a bed and breakfast, a pair of Japanese sisters at the B&B, and a retired philosophy professor Anri begins to uncover more about her grandmother's story, the identity of the old soldier and the true nature of love.

"Looking for Anne" is a Canadian-Japanese co-production and from Zuno Films and it recently made its debut at the film market at the Cannes Film Festival this spring. It's interesting to note that this isn't the first time that Takako Miyahira has worked on a Canadian-Japanese co-production. In 2005 she worked as the editor on Claude Gagnon's "Kamataki" starring Tasuya Fuji.

Thanks to CinemaCafe.net for pointing the way to this and Cinando.com for the plot details. Hopefully this film will get a trailer and official site soon so we can post it here.