Acadamy award winning film ‘The Cove’ spurs free speech debate in Japan

by Kraig Becker on

The Academy Award winning documentary The Cove is stirring up controversy in Japan, where several theaters, including one on an U.S. Army base, have removed it from their screens, while others decide if they should risk showing it all. Last week, three theaters pulled the film, which depicts the annual dolphin slaughter in a Japanese village, after they received a number of protests and angry phone calls from nationalist political groups. That caused 23 other theaters to reconsider showing the movie as well.

Meanwhile, a second group, consisting of journalists, filmmakers, and academics, are urging the theaters to reconsider, saying that they should show the film under the country’s constitutionally protected right to free speech. Japan upholds that right, although many of the Japanese people are reluctant to push the boundaries too much.

The Cove gained international attention last year when it exposed the yearly dolphin hunt that takes place near the small Japanese village of Taijii. The film contains scenes of the brutal killing of the porpoises, with the meat being sold into Japanese fish markets, despite the fact that it contains very high levels of mercury. A segment with interviews of common Japanese people on the street shows that most in the country is unaware of the activity at all.

The film is an important one that exposes a dark secret in Japan, but more importantly, it seems to have opened up a new debate over fundamental rights to free speech and sharing of information. But in a country where disharmony and public dissension are frowned upon, it remains to be seen what, if any, impact it’ll have on the culture there.

[Photo Credit: TheCoveMovie.com]

Oscar nominees for best movies that capture place: Six nominees

by Jamie Rhein on

Each year I see all the movies nominated for Oscars in all the major categories–plus more. As I watch movies, where they are filmed and how the place influences the story interests me. Perhaps this is because when one travels, the places one travels influences the experience.

There’s not an Oscar for movies that best capture a sense of place, but if there were, here are my suggestions for movies that came out this year. As you read the list, think of movies that have struck you. My list is from this year’s movies, but any movie and any year counts.

Best movie for capturing the sensuality and sexiness of place:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

This whole movie made me drool over Barcelona, Spain and the city of Oviedo, another location. The architecture, art, the fountains, the glasses of wine, statuary and little courtyards–divine. Plus, it was sunny! As a bonus, that delicious feeling of being young women off on a European adventure was perfectly captured. Who wouldn’t want to have a romp with Javier Bardem?

Best movie for capturing a place that is past its prime:

The Wrestler

With the economy’s downturn has come the closing or downsizing of beloved attractions. The scene in the abandoned carousel room at a no longer in use boardwalk in New Jersey where Mickey Rourke’s character danced with his daughter encapsulated that longing for simpler times and childhood memories gone-by

Best movie for capturing the intricacies of cultural interactions and neighborhood change:

Gran Turino

I was so disappointed this movie wasn’t nominated. The scenes between Eastwood and the Hmong immigrant family from Cambodia were superb. Also important were the shots of the neighborhood in Highland Park, Michigan. My favorites were when they kept plying him with food, something he eventually relished. What a wonderful tribute to the idea that culture is mostly about what makes your heart sing.

Best movie for capturing a place of color and vibrancy:

Slumdog Millionaire

As much as I wasn’t all that enamored with Slumdog Millionaire as a package, the vibrancy, sounds and colors of parts of Mumbai drew me in. Plus, what a feat to capture the footage in the sprawl of Dharavi, the “slum” community there.

Best movie for capturing how place influences how people live:

Frozen River

As I watched Michelle Leo steer the car across the ice of the St. Lawrence River next to the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Upstate New York, I thought about how where people live can affect outcomes. The storyline and place was a perfect match. I can still hear the sound of the ice crunching.

Best movie for capturing place that has been a heartbeat of change:

Milk

San Francisco’s role in the movement of gay rights was an integral part of this film. Along with depicting the important people like Harvey Milk and Cleve Jones (who started the Names Project, the AIDS Quilt), this was a terrific look at how the city has played an important role in U.S. history.

Best movie for capturing the sense of self discovery that travel brings:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons

All the footage of Benjamin Buttons traveling as a young man, particularly in Nepal, brought back memories of how travel is an integral part of developing a sense of self. Anyone who has washed out clothes and hung them on a piece of string in a country that is not your own, knows what this feels like.

Oscar nominated shorts: A world tour

by Jamie Rhein on

Every year as a member of the Columbus Academy Motion Picture Pickers (CAMPP) I embark on a movie going frenzy to see all the movies nominated in every major category. Not on the list of my obligatory must-sees were the films nominated for Short Features and Short Animation, but I saw them anyway and highly recommend them as a way to enjoy the scope of humanity and art.

For the past three years I’ve seen the nominated movies in both categories all in a row, one after another–10 in all. This is one way to travel from country to country, from sensibility to sensibility in a few hours. What strikes me is that, although there are often cultural influences and differences particular to each country from which the movies hail, there are many thematic similarities among them. What this shows to me is through the diversity, we can always relate. Terrific stories are terrific in any language.

These movies are making the rounds. Check out film festivals or independent cinemas to see if you can catch them. Here’s the list of the films and which country they are from:

Short Film (Live Action)

Short Film (Animated)

For clips of the animated shorts, head to BuzzSugar.

Oscar Night America: Get the Red Carpet Treatment and Give to Charity

by Jamie Rhein on

Oscar season is upon us and I’m making plans. Even when I’ve lived in other countries, I have kept an eye on the date as to not miss the hoopla. One year, thanks to a friend’s membership, I saw the ceremony on a big screen at the American Club in Taipei. This was one of those fun-filled events that Americans throw to feel like they are still in the U.S. On Oscar night I’m happy to pretend.

Because I am a movie fiend, as soon as I see Half Nelson my oath as a member of the Columbus Academy of Movie Pickers Picks [CAMPP] is fulfilled. We are a group of folks who the Dispatch (Columbus Ohio’s main newspaper) deemed worthy of the weighty responsibility of seeing all the nominated movies, actors, actresses, directors and those in supporting roles to pick who we think should win before the paper’s press deadline. On Oscar Sunday our photos and quotes end up in print. With a few days left to make up my mind, I’m still mulling.

What I am not mulling about is where to see the Oscars. Across the U.S. there are Oscar Night America® parties where the award ceremony is broadcast live on the big screen. The website lists where the events are and gives details how to attend. By attending, participants get to do things like walk the red carpet, eat yummy hors d’oeuvres, cast their ballots for the winners in order to win prizes, and earn money for charity. Each attendee also receives the same program they would receive if they were actually at the Oscars. The event I’m going to is at the Drexel Gateway near the Ohio State University campus. The money raised that night will go to Columbus AIDS Task Force.

Oscar Tourist’s Guide To Eating And Accommodation

by Jonathon Morgan on

Chances are, you weren’t invited to the Oscars this year. But for those of you interested in celebrity watching, it’s a great time to visit L.A. If you do plan to visit Tinsel Town, here’s a few suggestions that should help maximize your star-studded vacation.

-Keep a camera on you at all times. You never know when you’ll bump into someone famous.

-Also, eat and drink like locals — most film actors and actresses live in L.A., or, at the very least, spend a considerable amount of time there. They’ll know the best places to grab grub — whether it’s fancy, or fast food. Try local arts and culture sites like LAist to get an idea of where everyone’s heading.

-When looking for hotels, don’t forget to book early. Especially if you want to stay close to the action, there’s very few rooms open to the public.

-Lastly, while it’s no longer an option for this year, keep in mind for future Oscar-themed visits that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes 300 bleacher seats available to the public for one week every September. The competition is fierce — over 10,000 people tried for this year’s seats — but it’s worth a shot.

And lastly, have a blast! You’re in L.A. for crying out loud.