OCTOBER 2009 Special Edition Sapporo Short Fest 2009 reviews, maps, local news, listings and much more... Debito brings the undead to life Debito brings the undead to life Marathon Man Wouldn't you rather take the subway? Marathon Man Wouldn't you rather take the subway? Chef's Corner Cross Hotel's Richard Robbins Chef's Corner Cross Hotel's Richard Robbins Special Edition Sapporo Short Fest 2009
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OCTOBER 2009
Special EditionSapporo Short Fest 2009
reviews, maps,local news, listings
and much more...Debito brings the undead to lifeDebito brings the undead to life
Marathon ManWouldn't you rather take the subway?
Marathon ManWouldn't you rather take the subway?
Chef's CornerCross Hotel's Richard Robbins
Chef's CornerCross Hotel's Richard Robbins
Special EditionSapporo Short Fest 2009
3OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
Sapporo Source Magazine would not exist without the generosity and
support of our sponsors:
Editor’s NoteObSERvAnt readers might notice a few brief mentions of a certain film-related event in this month’s ’Source. In fact we’ve devoted
almost half the magazine to it, in our Sapporo Short Fest 2009 Special Edition. If in previous years you didn’t manage to get along to see any of the exhibited films, we hope our guide
will tempt you to participate in this fabulous event. I’ve watched all 103 films in this year’s festival and there really are some cracking flicks in there.
Also, a quick note about next month’s magazine. People have been asking us for a while now when we’re going to start running classified ads, to which the answer is: next issue! And what’s more, they’re free! So whether you’re a private language teacher looking for students, or are leaving
Japan and want to sell the contents of your apartment, look for the information towards the back of this month’s mag to find out more.
Editor: Richard HopkinsAssociate Editor: Hiromi TakedaContributors: Joaquin da Silva, Arudou Debito, Harry Bissell, Michael Everett, Miyuki Nakamura, Makoto Ishiguri, Bradley Callaghan, Mick NippardPhoto Editor: Julian Krakowiak (nandemofoto.com)Art Direction: Patrick Nesbitt (43north.jp)Translation: Yasuko Goto, Saori Ariizumi Business Development: Masako Hopkins
Sapporo Source is a great way to advertise to tourists, foreign residents, business travelers and anyone visiting Sapporo. If you are interested in advertising in Sapporo Source we have very competitive advertising rates starting at just ¥10,000. To discuss your advertising requirements, please contact us by email at: [email protected]
It’S tHE dAy AFtER My FIRSt ever marathon. I’m starving hungry, half asleep and I can’t bend my knees. Jerome Drayton, Canadian Olympian and three-times winner or the Fukouka Marathon, once said, “To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who’s never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind.” That of course is impossible, but then, so was me running 42Ks…
Standing around in my designated block at the start wasn’t the best way to get underway. Stuck there for around an hour, constantly looking at my watch, I felt my confidence leak out of me with every pass-ing minute. Why had I not trained more? Why did I not invest in the most expensive running shoes?, Why did everyone else
here look better prepared than me? When the gun for the start went I was relieved; now I all I had to do was run.
The race started slowly as there were seven thousand people ahead of me before I even crossed the start line. But my confidence was high and for the next few kilometres I didn’t even look at the signs that showed us how far we had come. I thought I would try and get into my own zone and just pound it out, but looking at the people who had come out to cheer us on was a much better way of forgetting about the distance that was yet to come.
Things went well for the first 10Ks. We were already leaving the city centre and before too long would arrive at North 24, where I’d pass my house, with my family waiting. After that it was just a case
of running through Teine and back into town. What could be easier?
At around 20 kilometres the sights became more familiar. Some of the people on the side of the road knew who I was and cheered me on. I sped by my house at such a pace, my family didn’t see me until I was almost past them. At the top of that road more friends greeted me and I felt so strong I upped my pace further. “The faster I run, the faster I will get home,” I thought. That was my first big mistake.
The road ahead was long and straight and monotonous. I knew at some point we would turn around and run down the other side of the road but there was hardly anyone coming in the other direction. I could feel myself starting to become fatigued, and for the first time in the race
As Harry Bissell discovered, it's one thing to enter the Hokkaido Marathon, but finishing is another thing altogether. Did he make it? Read on...
I felt the discomfort of having no idea where I was, how far I had come, or had left to go. I was slowing down, and people had begun to pass me. Then I saw what I wanted to see –people going in the other direction– but they looked terrible! All mouths open and wide eyed, like they’d all witnessed some unknown horror in the direction I was going. For the first time I really want to stop and walk.
The road seemed endless and I was beginning to hurt. I’d read about hitting the infamous “wall” so I was expecting it. I’d even tried to talk myself into looking forward to it. “Once it’s over you feel fine and you’ll definitely finish,” a friend had told me. Sure enough it came, but not suddenly like I expected. It felt like my body was shutting down one piece at a time, starting with my legs and working up, and I felt heavier with each stride. There were no people on the side of the road, no other runners, no cars, no noise. I wasn’t even 100% sure I was still moving at all. I tried hard to focus, repeating over and over in my mind “just keep running”, and
suddenly the sound of cups hitting the road brought me back into the real world. “Water!” I ran over grabbed two cups and downed them both, then grabbed two sponges and pushed them both hard over my face, and suddenly I was back! I’d come through the worst of it and I was going to finish.
I stopped running and walked for the first time at around 35Ks and I regretted it straight away. Walking it turned out was more painful that running. I started back up and felt good, coming up to Hokkaido University for the closing stretch. I met another foreign entrant and the brief chat we had was a huge relief from the isolation that had been the last three and a bit hours. “Why are we doing this?” he asked. It was another 40 minutes before I knew the answer.
After four hours I was finally in Odori. The finish line was no more than a couple of blocks away. I rounded one last corner and could see it. In a couple of minutes I could stop running and sit down! I picked up my pace and ran faster than I had at
any point in the race. When I ran over the mat at the finish line and heard the beep of the microchip around my ankle recording my time I was too tired to be emotional but felt relieved and proud that I had finished. I collected my medal and spent a moment to think about the day I’d had. There were 3,665 people that finished in front of me that day, but then to quote legendary distance runnier Emil Zatopek, “If you want to win something run 100 metres. If you want to experience something, run a marathon!”
Finally I couldn’t complete this account without expressing my gratitude to everyone that helped me along the way: all my friends and family for their encourage-ment; Mitsufumi Nishio whose advice and help in the weeks leading up to the run was so important, and the countless people whose names I will never know who lined the route to hand out drinks and sponges, or just shouted, “Ganbare”. My single most prominent memory of that day won’t be the pain, or even the finish. It will be the good spirit of the people of Sapporo.
8 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009
tHERE’S SOMEtHIng MAgICAL
about short films. In the modern world where box office returns often seem to count much more than creativity, and the major Hollywood studios seem content to churn out sequels, prequels and spin-offs with little in the way of originality or invention, shorts are where the real craft of filmmaking is still practiced.
Made for a wide variety of reasons, usually more artistic than financial, shorts serve a number of purposes for those that are involved. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly they are an opportunity for the next generation of up-and-coming talent to showcase what they can do. You can be pretty sure that Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson didn’t get handed a hundred million dollars and get told to “go make a blockbuster” when they first started out. So unless you happen to be the daughter of a legend (yes I’m looking at you, Sophia Coppola)
you’re likely to be helming a short as your first real project.
On the other hand, there are those that simply enjoy the process of filmmaking for its own ends. And that’s another beauty of the short film medium – there’s so much variety of expression and personal input into each and every project. Shorts can range from an amateur animator working out of his or her bedroom with little more than pencil, paper and a domestic video camera to highly experienced industry professionals and everything in between.
It’s this diversity of talent and the creative freedom it brings that make short film such an appealing proposition for the viewer. But given the commercial realities of cinema today there are relatively few opportunities to experience these films at proper screenings, especially in Sapporo. Make the most of the festival – it’s only here for a five days.
Short Films
What: Festival showing 103 short films from around the world.When: 14-18th October, 2009Where: Cinema Toho & Theatre Kino, Tanukikoji, Chuo-kuMore info: www.sapporoshortfest.jp
tHIS yEAR IS tHE FOURtH yEAR OF tHE
Sapporo Short Fest. Established in 2006, it has quickly gained an international profile and this year for the 2009 festival, the examining committee received a staggering 3,411 film entries from 97 countries. Eventually after watching every single film received (no mean feat in itself) the list was whittled down to 103 films, representing 28 different nations.
The international section of the festival is highly competitive with the 55 selected films vying for a number of awards. The most successful exhibitor this year is the United Kingdom with seven films being shown, followed closely by the USA with six and France with five.
There is also a secondary “off-theater” fringe-festival, taking place at Theater Kino (see map for details) concurrently with Sapporo Short Fest. Due to space constraints we can’t provide too much information about this, but more details should be available from the festival website.
Due to the international nature of the festival, virtually all films are subtitled in both English and Japanese where necessary, so you shouldn’t have any problems understanding the dialogue.
About the festival
9OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
Viewing the FilmsSHORt FILMS gEnERALLy LASt
somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes, however they can be as brief as 60 seconds or close to an hour. This makes showing them individually somewhat troublesome. Few people are going to expend the effort to go to the cinema, simply to view a film that lasts less time than the subway ride to get there. For this reason, the films exhibited at Sapporo Short Fest are grouped into themed “programs” each of which lasts roughly an hour-and-a-half and during which you will view 7 or 8 different titles. These programs are then in turn grouped into several categories: International Programs for films originating outside Japan, Filmmaker Programs in which several films by a single director are shown, National Programs for films made by Japanese directors, and the Children’s Program, which needs no further explanation.
IntERnAtIOnAL PROgRAMS
I-A For Women Films that are considered to have a broad appeal for the ‘fairer sex’. That’s not to say they won’t be a worthwhile visit for men too.
I-B Human Interest Emotional and morally challenging tales, often with a deeply personal element.
I-C Music & Fantasy Surreal shorts and music videos with a great degree of creativity or imagination.
I-D Sense of Wonder Artistic and experimental works, with a strong emphasis on the aesthetic.
I-E Cinephile High production values and engaging stories, with some very polished results make these films very approachable and easy to enjoy.
I-F Spice of Life A potpourri of styles and genres, with something that’s bound to please, whatever you’re into.
FILMAKER PROgRAMS
F-A Mai yoshida (Japan), Alexandre Phillipe (USA), Anna Mcgrath (Australia)
F-B Erik Rosenlund (Sweden), Michael Wolf (Germany), Reiko yokosuka (Japan)
F-C natalia Kuzmina (Ukraine/Russia), terry O’Leary (Ireland), Kamikaze doga (Japan)
nAtIOnAL PROgRAMS
N-A A selection of 7 films by Japanese filmmakers
N-B A second selection of 7 films by Japanese filmmakers
CHILdREn’S PROgRAM
A Range of short animated films suitable for younger viewers.
OnE-OFF PROgRAMS
Asia Several non-competition invited films from around Asia
California Guest films from the California Independent Film Festival
Premium Films personally invited by the Festival Jury members.
Media Arts Invited films from the Japan Media Arts Festival
Hokkaido Selection A selection of 7 films made by local directors based in Hokkaido
10 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009
Sapporo Source caught up with two Sapporo Short Fest grand Prix winners from previous years to find out about how they felt about winning, and what they’ve been doing since their festival triumphs.
Past Winners
Born 1971 in Zürich, Reto Caffi grew up in Berne, Switzerland. He graduated in English Literature and Journalism from the University of Fribourg,
Switzerland and spent several years working as a film journalist for print, radio, and Swiss National Television. He then turned his attention to scriptwriting and direction. He has helmed 7 projects including several shorts, a TV movie and documentary. His short film “Auf der Strecke” (On The Line) gained him his first Academy Award® nomination.
SS: So, Reto - what have been up to since winning at the Sapporo Short Fest?
RC: I've been traveling some more with the film, but mostly I've been shooting some commercials and corporate films next to working on the development of my first feature length script.
SS: What were your impressions of Sapporo and the festival when you visited?
RC: I loved it. It's a very personally run festival, with an incredibly charming crew and a group of visiting filmmakers that all ended up as some kind of family after a great week of sake, onsen and good movies. I've been travelling with my film to quite a lot of festivals all over the world - Sapporo might not the biggest one, but it certainly was one of the most charming. Also, I fell in love with Japan! After the Festival I stayed a little longer and went to Kyoto and Tokyo. I really want to come back to spend more time and get to know Japan better.
SS: Do you think Japanese audiences are different to other countries? If so, in what way?
RC: There's undeniably a great difference of cultures between Japan and Switzerland. I showed five films of mine in Sapporo, two of them comedies. All throughout the screening, it was quite silent in the cinema. Or - if people reacted - it was at other moments than they would react in Europe. I sat there in the dark and thought, "shit, this does not work at all
here". However, after the screening, some people came up to me and said that they found it very funny.
SS: How would you describe your approach to directing?
RC: I try to make films that I would like to see myself. The stories are often very closely connected to my own life. Still, they're not autobiographical - I look outside myself for characters and situations; at the lives of friends, or stories that they tell me. I'm attracted to someone's story because their circumstance resonates with something stewing in me that I haven't resolved. Then I try to tell that story in as focused and emotionally capturing way as I can.
SS: What has been your greatest or proudest moment in your filmmaking career so far?
RC: My Oscar nomination for my short "On The Line".
SS: What would you say to any aspiring filmmakers reading this?
RC: Be passionate. Be personal. And don't be afraid to make mistakes!
Reto Caffi (Switzerland) Winner, International Film Grand Prix (2008)
After graduating in with a BA in Fine Art, Simon Ellis began writing and directing his own independent short films. He has received numerous international film
festival awards and worked both in music video and television direction. His short film “Soft” won thirty-seven awards worldwide, including the International Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Best Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards, and a BAFTA nomination. Collections of his work have been presented at several film festivals worldwide and he continues to make shorts despite beginning a career in feature length productions.
SS: Simon, please tell us little about what you have been doing since winning the Grand Prix at the Sapporo Short Fest.
SE: I’ve been writing new shorts and trying to write my new feature, plus lots of travelling to many other short film festivals as either a participant or jury member. I’ve also worked on some other short films as editor, and
dipped my toe into the world of advertising. I'm bursting with too many ideas at the moment, which could be a sure way to get nothing finished.
SS: Do you think winning the award helped you in any way with your filmmaking career?
SE: The award meant an enormous amount to me in terms of my own development and confidence because I had never watched my work in the company of an audience outside Europe or the USA. The fact that it was a varied collection of my shorts that won made it all the more gratifying as I was presenting a lot of myself to an unknown audience. To win the prize, so far away from home, was some kind of vindication that what I have been doing all these years has been really worthwhile and that kind of encouragement is increasingly rare.
SS: How do you think the Sapporo Short Fest ranks amongst other festivals, and particularly short film festivals?
SE: It's quite unlike the many other festivals I’ve visited. As someone who has only visited Japan for the festival, everything from the films to the unbelievable hospitality or the culture as a whole is an absolute breath of
fresh air to me. Despite the fact that it is a city-based festival, I find it incredibly relaxing. Usually at festivals I’m ready to leave after four days; but both times I’ve attended Sapporo Short Fest, I’ve been sad to go home and found myself wondering how I might get there the following year before I’ve even left. Remaining in contact with fellow directors after meeting them at festivals is something that's always intended but unfortunately doesn't often happen; yet I’ve remained friends with directors I met during both visits to Sapporo.
SS: Do you have any advice for people who read this and would like to get started in filmmaking?
SE: Only to know that short films can be about absolutely anything. Nothing is stopping you from doing it. You can make a film without dialogue or without actors. It is the easiest thing in the world to over-complicate a simple idea, and then decide not to make it. Do it before you find reasons to convince yourself not to. If you need inspiration, visit a festival and see as many other shorts as possible because even if you don't like anything you see, it’ll help you on your way to knowing what kind of thing you might want to do.
Simon Ellis (UK) Winner, Filmmaker Grand Prix (2007)
11OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
Market
Main Screen
Off-theater site
TANUKIKOJI ARCADE
Locations
Ticket Information
Film ScheduleThere are a number of chances to see each program during the festival. Films are shown back to back in 90-minute slots throughout the day with a short break between showings. The All Night Showing is a special event popular with insomniacs, and shows the entire international competition program category in a single night.
Tickets come in a wide range of types depending on how much of the festival you want to participate in. Tickets are available from: Lawson Convenience Store (L Code: 18875); Ticket Pier (General tickets, P code: 461-153, Awards A & B and Ceremony, P Code 555-581);E-Plus (online) http://eplus.jp; Pivot Information Counter; Toho Plaza; Theatre Kino; 4-Pla § Hoka Shinai Playguide. In most cases you may need a Japanese speaker to help you obtain tickets if you don’t speak much Japanese.
For up-to-the-minute information about the one-off program schedule please check the festival website: www.sapporoshortfest.jp
12 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009 SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE
A young woman transforms herself
and all those around her in this charming animation with a subtle environmental message about the effects of our actions on the world around us.
Vilmusenaho’s second exhibited short, and her graduation film from Turku Arts Academy in Finland.
This ingenious short film features
the work of Argentinean magician Serpico, and examines man’s position as a chapter in earth’s long story, told entirely through the medium of hand shadows.
Round Kirk Hendry (UK) 2008 / 5:27Language: Musical accompaniment with English lyrics Genre: Experimental
New Zealand-born, London-based Kirk
Hendry works in both live action and animation. His work has garnered a number of award nominations including MTV Music Video of the Year.
An entrancing story of reminiscence and
coming of age set in the idyllic French countryside.
Un Grain de Beaute Hugo Chesnard (France) 2008 / 11:40Language: French with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Following the highly regarded
documentary Le Bal des Familes, Un Grain de Beaute is Hugo Chesnard’s first professional fictional film as a director.
The joy of childbirth descends into a
bitter nightmare and near tragedy in this moving and deeply personal account of one woman’s experience.
Passages Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre (Canada) 2008 / 24:40Language: French with subtitles Genre: Animation
With over 20 international awards
and commendations for her previous film (McLaren’s Negative) French-Canadian filmmaker Saint-Pierre has a style that blurs the line between documentary and drama.
In this touching and light-hearted
musical comedy, Betty makes her daily trip to the underpass where she joins her fellow buskers to plays violin, much to the chagrin of Joe, the new security guard.
The Ballad of Betty and Joe Martha Ansara (Australia) 2008 / 12:10Language: No dialogue, English titles Genre: Musical Comedy
Best known as a documentary
filmmaker, Martha Ansara is a past winner of the Bryon Kennedy Award at the Australian Film Awards.
A girl from a rural farm in Brazil,
works to convince her father that she should be allowed to go to school, and in doing so, brings her family closer together.
The Scarecrow Girl Cássio Pereira dos Santos (Brazil) 2008 / 13:00Language: Portuguese with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Cássio Pereira dos Santos is riding
high having recently won the international audience award at the Tokyo Short Shorts Festival for Scarecrow Girl.
What’s in a name? On the eve of her
25th birthday, Gnocchi Bolognese searches for romance, and the origins of her unusual name.
The Broken Heart of Gnocchi Bolognese Katherine Vondy (USA) 2009 / 18:12Language: EnglishGenre: Romantic/Drama
Los Angeles resident Katherine Vondy has
worked on a number ofindependent films as pro-ducer and production de-signer. Gnocchi Bolognese, for which she also wrote the screenplay, marks her second outing as a director.
I-A | For Women Oct 14 10:00 - 11:30Oct 15 18:00 - 19.30Oct 16/17 All night program
13SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
A lonely old farmer in the rugged
countryside receives a letter from a woman he once loved.
Atlantic Conor Ferguson (Ireland) 2008 / 3:40Language: English Genre: Drama
Atlantic is Dublin-based Conor
Ferguson’s second film, following the award winning success of Wednesdays. He currently works as an advertising copywriter and is preparing his first feature length screenplay.
A slightly eerie glimpse into the
creation of “reborn” dolls, so lifelike that they can barely be told apart from living babies.
Nordhoff-School in 2003 and has completed a number of films since 2006. He has experience as both a director and camera operator on a number of independent projects.
A factory worker receives a visit
from a girl claiming to be pregnant with the child of his son who has left to serve in the army. (Some strong language).
Girl Sunghoon Hong (South Korea) 2008 / 17:30Language: Korean with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Born in 1978, Sunghoon Hong
graduated from the Korean Academy of Film Arts as a Film Directing Major in 2007.
A cautionary tale about life after
global warming. Three strangers move into their government housing unit on the Island of Pittsburgh.
Cost of Living Larry LaFond (USA) 2008 / 14:38Language: EnglishGenre: Comedy
Larry LaFond attended film school
in Orlando before moving to Los Angeles to work for Nickelodeon. Cost of Living is the second film made through his award winning collaboration with actor/producer Terry Ray.
Returning from America to his
childhood home in Saigon, a former refugee is confronted with memories of his boat escape from Vietnam.
The Fading Light Thien Do (Vietnam) 2008 / 22:00Language: Vietnamese with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Thien Do is a Vietnamese American
filmmaker and artist currently living and working in Hochiminh City, Vietnam. Born in 1963, he moved to the United States as a refugee in 1975, and then later returned to Hochiminh City, Vietnam.
Two Mexican immigrants working
at the Paradise Café have had enough. The younger of the two rehearses his resignation speech through which he hopes to gain freedom and win the love of a waitress.
Paradise Cafe Alonso Ruizpalacios (Mexico) 2008 / 10:00Language: Spanish with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Alonso is an experienced director,
having worked both for television and the stage before turning to film. He also works as a screenwriter and has a BA in acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
In 1953, a small time actor lands a lead
role in Kurosawa’s next big period epic, but how many samurai does the director really need?
The 8th Samurai Justin Ambrosino (USA) 2008 / 28:29Language: Japanese with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Justin graduated from the American
Film Institute Conservatory and has worked as a production assistant on numerous feature films including The Departed and The Producers
I-B | Human InterestOct 14 12:00 - 13:30Oct 15 22:00 - 22.30Oct 16/17 All night program
14 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009 SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE
Dahlia paints a portrait of the
bustle and permanence of a city, juxtaposing the stable forms and patterns of life with the frenetic behavior of humanity, set to a driving score of vocal percussion.
Dahlia Michael Langan (USA) 2008 / 3:00Language: N/A Genre: Experimental
Michael Langan is an award-winning
independent filmmaker and commercial director based in San Francisco, California. Over the past two years he has directed numerous short promotional films and documentaries.
Three Wreckers is an imaginary music
band spawned from Rosto’s graphic novel Mind My Gap. A one-eyed has-been TV presenter hides away in a hotel room with his dead sidekick to watch reruns from their better days.
No Place Like Home Rosto (Netherlands) 2008 / 6:10Language: Music (English lyrics)Genre: ‘Not a music video’
Rosto’s work spreads out over
a wide variety of media including film, websites, print and sound and is garnering him an increasing international reputation.
Using the urban landscape as his
canvas, Blu has created a unique and visually stunning art film. This work recently caused a sensation when spread rapidly around the Internet as a “viral video”.
both paintings and video works. He paints large, often outdoor surrealist images on buildings and walls. Recently his work was featured at the Tate Modern in London.
Alexandre and Lea are souls in
search of love. Inside their heads, two teams are operating their brains and trying to try to steer their relationship in the right direction.
Brainstorming David Freymond (France) 2008 / 12:23Language: French with English subtitles Genre: Romantic Comedy
David Freymond has directed 2
shorts produced by Ecole Supérieure d’Études Cinématographiques (ESEC) in Paris. His previous film was Le Boss.
Created solely using images from
the Charles S Anderson collection the film tells the story of a mysterious heroine and her unknown ally attempting to prevent the evil Dr. Moire destroy-ing Halftone City, USA.
The Control Master Run Wrake (UK) 2008 / 6:45Language: N/AGenre: Animation
Run Wrake has made a significant
contribution to the fields of short film, animation and music video. In the music field he has worked with artists such as U2, George Michael, Oasis and Paul McCartney.
Scientists discover a signal emanating
from a craft which fell to earth. This turns out to be a countdown. Today, that countdown will reach zero.
Afterville Fabio Guaglione, Fabio Resinaro (Italy) 2008 / 30:00Language: Italian with English subtitles Genre: Science Fiction
Fabio Resinaro (27) and Fabio Guaglione
(26) met in Milan in 1995 while attending High School. Prior to Afterville, they were commissioned by Sky to write, direct and produce sci-fi movie The Silver Rope.
In a relationship, sharing isn’t
always fun.
A Cigarette For Two Simon Baumann (Switzerland) 2009 / 1:00Language: N/AGenre: Experimental
Born in 1979, Simon Baumann
has, as a director, writer, cinematographer and producer, co-developed two documentaries together with his filmmaking partner Andreas Pfiffner.
Based on the book Varmints, by Helen
Ward and tells the story of the struggle of small, winsome creatures to pre-serve the beauty of nature against those who would fill the sky with grime and a cacophony of noise.
Varmints Marc Craste (UK) 2009 / 24:00Language: N/AGenre: CGI, Animation
Marc Craste is a pro-lific filmmaker and
has directed and designed a number of award winning commercials and a number of short films including Jojo in the Stars which won the 2004 BAFTA for Best Animated Short Film.
I-C | Music & Fantasy Oct 14 14:00 - 15:30Oct 16/17 All night programOct 17 20:00 - 21.30
15SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
A referee’s life is transformed after
he is transferred to the hell of low division football where the lives of two thieves cross.
The Referee Paolo Zucca (Italy) 2008 / 15:40Language: Italian with English subtitles Genre: Comedy, Drama
Paolo Zucca has 5 short films and 30
commercials to his credit. His work has won a raft of awards including the Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival for his previous film L’Artbitro.
A former pilot reminisces about
his earlier life - The Earth, the Sky, the Woman - everything that took place on the journey from an air strip to an abandoned boat house.
Wings and Oars Vladimir Leschiov (Latvia) 2009 / 5:57Language: N/A Genre: Animation
Vladimir Leschiov teaches animation
at the Latvian Academy of Arts and in 2007 he established his animation studio Lunohod in Riga.
In the contortions and spasms that
mark the border between life and death, the body performs its final macabre ballet. (Contains adult themes and nudity)
Danse Macabre Pedro Pires (Canada) 2008 / 8:30Language: Korean with English subtitles Genre: Experimental
Pedro Pires is an Emmy Award
winning film maker who previously worked with Francois Girard on the Red Violin, and with Robert Lepage on the visual con-ception of the 2000 feature film, Possible Worlds.
After being struck down by a sudden
disease, a man is admitted to hospital and begins a desperate quest to regain normality.
The Game Vinicio Basile (Italy) 2009/ 24:00Language: Italian with English subtitles Genre: Stop-motion, Drama
Vinicio Basile, born in 1960, began his
work in documentary and animation at the University Federico II in Naples, Italy.
During an opulent and luxurious
banquet, 11 pampered guests participate in ritualistic gastronomic carnage.
Next Floor Denis Villeneuve (Canada) 2009 / 11:34Language: EnglishGenre: Drama
Denis Villeneuve has achieved public
and critical attention on the international festival scene for his powerful approach to filmmaking. He has currently directed 2 feature films: 32nd Day of August on Earth and Maelström.
Nature-cycles and natural philosophical
theories are examined via a mental journey through the surreal.
Blowboy Michael Bamber (Germany) 2009/ 26:59Language: EnglishGenre: Experimental, Surreal
Michael Bamber has pursued a career in
the areas of concept-film and animation, visualisation, graphic design and illustration. Blowboy is a showcase for his multi-disciplined talent.
I-D | Sense of WonderOct 15 10:00 - 11:30Oct 16/17 All night programOct 17 22:00 - 22.30
16 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009 SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE
A lone hunter in a desolate
environment shelters for the night on a cliff-top and begins to dream. Or does he?
working in the field of 2D and 3D computer animation for over 15 years and has directed a number of short films, winning awards in a wide range of international festivals.
Marc fears the cracks between the
paving stones. Take a look inside his mind as he seeks treatment to confront his fears. (Contains graphic scenes of fantasy gore and human dismemberment).
TenBIF (UK, France) 2008 / 7:00Language: French with English subtitles Genre: Drama
BIF is an award winning directing
trio comprising Fabrice Le Nezet, Francois Roisin and Jules Janaud who met during their time at renowned French animation school Supinfocom.
After Tisha, a streetwise teenager
from the Bronx, discovers she’s pregnant and receives no support from her community, she has nowhere to turn and faces the most difficult decision she will ever have to make.
Premature Rashaad Ernesto Green (USA) 2008 / 14:48Language: English Genre: Drama
Rashaad Ernesto Green draws on
his upbringing to inform the artist that he is today. After earning a BA from Dartmouth College and starting out as an actor he turned to directing to tell his stories.
Scotsman Bill McFadyen is a
power lifter, world record holder, and has an iron will to win. Just one thing about him is different. He’s 73 years old.
Ma Bar Finlay Pretsell, Adrian McDowall (UK) 2008 / 11:48Language: English Genre: Documentary
Ma Bar is the second in a series
of alternative sports documentaries. The duo have several BAFTA nominations and awards to their names.
A trip into the oneiric mind of a dying
artist as he meets people from his life: his daughter, his lover and perhaps himself. (Contains brief nudity).
Flying Away Simon Wallon (France) 2008 / 22:50Language: French with English subtitles Genre: Documentary
Simon Wallon directs music
and corporate videos. Following the success of Flying Away he is now working on a feature length narrative script and two documentaries.
A hapless government agent is
faced with a problem when a curious pigeon gets trapped inside his multi-million dollar nuclear briefcase and nearly triggers World War III.
Pigeon: Impossible Lucas Martell (USA) 2009 / 6:12Language: No dialogue, incidental English Genre: Animation, Comedy
Lucas Martell spent 5 years working
on Pigeon: Impossible, a project which started out as a simple test animation in order to teach himself about 3D computer animation.
A coming of age story, following a
group of teenagers on a summer’s night as they journey from innocence to adulthood. (Contains strong sexual themes and nudity).
2 Birds Rúnar Rúnarsson (Iceland) 2009 / 15:15Language: Icelandic with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Rúnar Rúnarsson rose quickly to atten-
tion by achieving an Oscar nomination for only his second short film, Síðasti bærinn (The Last Farm). He has since tallied a total of over 20 awards.
I-E | Cinephile Oct 14 20:00 - 21:30Oct 15 12:00 - 13.30Oct 16/17 All night program
17SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
What’s your worst fear? This short,
but evocative film probably describes the nightmare that all of us have worried about and some time in our lives.
Ting a Ling a Ling Richard Harris (UK) 2009 / 2:41Language: No dialogueGenre: Drama
Richard Harris is a producer, writer and
director with Australian and British TV publish-ing credits. He also runs Final Cut, one of the UK’s most successful short film screening groups.
In a remote convent, the resident nuns
decide to install an internet connection, which leads to discoveries beyond those that they expected. (Contains brief nudity)
AgapE Slobodan Maksimovic (Slovenia) 2008 / 19:33 Language: Slovenian with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Since 2003, Slobodan Maksimovic has
written and directed 7 short films. His first fiction film was exhibited at the 60th Cannes Film Festival. Before he turned to film-making he worked as a journalist in Sarajevo.
A clear and concise explanation of the
science behind global warming, and the tipping point at which we can no longer stop the effect, plus a stark warning about what to expect once this happens.
Wake Up, Freak Out, Then Get a Grip Leo Murray (UK) 2008 / 11:40Language: English Genre: Animation
An animator with a conscience, Leo
deals with social and environmental issues. His previous work includes the highly acclaimed documentary feature The Age of Stupid.
What starts out as a show-and-tell
video about a young child’s Rabit (sic) ‘Hoppy’, quickly turns into a nightmare when curious things start happening to the animal.
Mr. Rabit Hoppy Anthony Lucas (Australia) 2008 / 3:16Language: English Genre: Fictional Documentary, Drama
Anthony Lucas’s animated short
film The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello was nominated for an Oscar. This is his first live action film and was made entirely in his own back yard.
A security guard shows off his
basketball skills to a gormless cleaner while the court is closed for the night. But perhaps the cleaner is smarter than he thinks.
short film Stone Crib as a student and was the inaugural winner of the ZON Multimedia Award.
A remarkable study in hand-drawn
animation that re-invents how to look at movement, gesture and the possibilities they afford, especially when physical movement is taken away by disability.
Orgesticulanismus Mathieu Labaye (Belgium) 2008/ 9:29Language: French with English subtitles Genre: Animation, Experimental
Born in 1977, Mathieu Labaye
has worked for Camera-etc, a Belgian animation workshop where children, teenagers and adults come to make their own animation shorts with the help of professionals.
8-year-old Robin returns to the
unpleasantness of his dysfunctional family and abusive stepfather after 3 months in a foster home and finds himself lost, trying to cope with a difficult family situation.
Robin Hanno Olderdissen (Germany) 2008 / 20:00Language: German with English subtitles Genre: Drama
Hans Olderdissen worked in various
roles in film production units before founding the directing partnership Gentlemen’s Agreement with fellow director Markus Sehr. Robin is his sixth short film project since 1999.
A retrospective documentary about
the Boca film movement in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in the 1970s featuring Japanese-Brazillian manga artist turned magazine publisher Minami Keizi. (Contains nudity and sexual themes)
Minami in Close Up - The “Boca” In Review Thiago Mendonca (Brazil) 2008/ 18:55Language: PortugueseGenre: Documentary
Thiago Mendonça was born in São Paulo
where he studied sociology and cinema. Before making Minami in Close Up, his first film, he worked as a cinema journalist for magazines and newspapers in Brazil.
I-F | Spice of LifeOct 14 22:00 - 22.30Oct 15 14:00 - 15.30Oct 16/17 All night program
now open from 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays!Lunch menu available Happy Hour 1pm-7pm
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Mai YoshidaMai was born in Northen Japan and moved to London in 2000 to study at Camberwell College of Art. While studying Illustration, she discovered a second interest in animation. Her first work, Alice’s Cave, gave her opportunities to have exhibitions and screenings in Paris, Kiev, Ohio, New York, and London, and achieved a bronze award at Columbus International Film & Video Festival. In her graduation year (2004), she continued her study at the Royal College of Art where she concentrated on creating short animated films. Since she achieved her Masters in 2006, she has exhibited her animations and prints in London, New Delhi, Tokyo, Osaka, Hakodate and Singapore. The animation Last Snow Before Spring won a Japan Media Plaza Award, 2008. She recently held an exhibition of her work in Liverpool, UK.
Alexandre Philippe
Swiss-French filmmaker Alexandre holds a Masters Degree in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he won the Founder’s Day Award and the Senior Achievement Award. Recent shorts include Left and The Spot. Left premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival, has screened at 36 international film festivals and won the Saga Prefecture Governor’s Award at the Akira Kurosawa Memorial Short Film Competition (Japan), and the Special Jury Prize at the Cinema Jove International Film Festival (Valencia, Spain). Currently, Alexandre is busy directing The People vs. George Lucas, a high-profile feature-length documentary slated for release in the Spring of 2010.
Anna McGrathAnna McGrath is a film writer and director based in Melbourne, Australia. She focuses on stories that resonate with universal experience. Through a lens of curiosity and wonder, her films investigate the vagaries of humanity, the ebb and flow of understanding and the strangeness of the everyday. Anna has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Film Narrative and a Masters in Film at the School of Film & TV, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Her work has appeared at festivals around the world and her short film Small Change (2007) has garnered a number of international awards.
One’s (2006)A sweet story about One’s life.
Last Snow Before Spring (2007)A heart-warming fantasy about May and her mother visiting Hokkaido for her grandfather’s funeral. One last chance to talk to the old man stirs emotions and gives her lasting peace.
The Monster and the Right Hand (2005)A story of trust, loss and lust about a monster who is missing his right hand.
The Fish’s Wish (2006)An animation about the relationship between a young girl and a fisherman. The girls starts to fantasize about herself being a fish.
Alice’s Cave (2004)The diversity of relationships from victim to killer, and from love to hatred.
Colours (2008)A village where people of different colours live (red, yellow and blue) and the conflicts that arise between them.
Left (2006)An impressionistic examination of the heartbreaking separation between a woman and the man she loves.
The Spot (2008)A documentary about the strange happenings taking place at the location of President Kennedy’s shocking assassination.
inside (2009)inside explores the subtle emotional damage caused to an innocent child by a reckless extramarital affair.
Small Change (2007)A man struggles without his wife, a little girl loses a tooth and a boy reacts the only way he knows how. Small change can make all the difference.
The Waltz (2007)After sixty years of marriage, what does it take to wake a slumbering romance?
Swings and Roundabouts (2008)It’s hard to find love, especially when you’re not even looking for it. Through a chance encounter, Ian and Flora give each other an excuse to smile.
21SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
Erik Rosenlund
Born in 1975, Erik worked as an illustrator and a maker of comics before learning animation. His films have won several awards and been shown around the world at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals, most notably two selections at the Cannes Film Festival.
Michael WolfAfter graduating High School and completing civilian service, Michael Wolf worked in several media-related fields. In Kassel, Germany he was employed as an editor and assistant for news, reportages, and documentaries. He went on to work for several Munich production companies in the fields of story development, pre-production, editing, and sound-mixing. Since October 2002, he has been enrolled at the University of Television and Film Munich. His films demonstrate his taste for the eerie and absurd.
Reiko Yokosuka
Reiko’s philosophy is “not to draw,” but to “cherish what’s created in the parts you don’t draw.” It’s more important than to fill every empty space with detail. She is originally from from Hitachinaka City in Ibaraki Prefecture and grew up reading manga by Ryoko Yamagishi and Omoto Hagi. She attended a specialty school during which she developed a fascination with ink animation, in which she could blur or smear lines. “I knew that was it” she says, and set out on a path toward becoming a professional animator, working during the day and started drawing when she got home; often continuing late into the night. One thousand five hundred paintings are needed to create an average five-minute ink animation. Despite this being an exhausting process for a solo artist. She aims to produce a new animation every six months.
Compulsion (2003)Compulsive behavior makes everyday situations seem potentially life-threatening. One day, a man is forced to confront his fears in order to survive.
The Dark Side of the Morning Redux (2009)She should have stayed in bed.
Looking Glass (2007)On a dark stormy night. A little girl is home alone watching television, but is she really the only person there?
Butler (2005)In this light-hearted comedy, a couple find the spark has gone from their marriage. That’s when the butler comes in handy!
Checkoo (2008)An underperforming office worker does everything he can to fit in.
Smalltalk (2009)How do everyday conversations sound to others?
Externum (2005)It is already very late, when Kathrin comes home. She is tired, but something is wrong. As she tries to open a pillbox, she cuts herself with the kitchen knife. Suddenly, she hears eerie noises coming from the first floor. Something has happened…
The Alchemist’s Book (2008)As a little boy Severin believed in an evil book. Tonight, he will believe again.
Kontamination (2004)On his way home, an office worker witnesses a horrific event in a parking garage that he will never forget.
GAKI Biwa Houshi (2005)When GAKI starts to play “biwa” on the veranda, the surroundings transform.
A Piper (2007)An abstract and stylish exploration of line and character.
Movement (1987)Lines and pictures drawn on Japanese paper with Chinese ink begin to move according to music.
Natalia was born in 1975 in Lvov, Ukraine, and since 1992 has lived in Voronezh, Russia. She has worked as a camera operator, a news journalist, and a director at a local tv-station. From 2004-2005 she studied at the Independent School of Cinema and Television (Internews, Moscow). She has directed several short films, and worked as an assistant director on a number of feature length film and television productions.
G Minor (2005)The emotional blindness of a music composer makes another person near him miserable and lonely. But the musician is too occupied to look outside his own world.
The Hands (2008)Two unacquainted and different people manage to break the barrier between them and feel spontaneous attraction thanks to a dance.
Housewife (2006)A housewife, tired of domestic occupations, finds herself having strange and ominous visions.
Terry O’LearyTerry O’Leary is an Irish writer and director of 5 short films, and the producer of several more. His work has been featured at over 100 festivals around the world, and has won numerous awards. His approach is often characterized by plots in which the audience are able to add their own interpretation to what they are viewing.
MONA: A Ghost Story (2008)A haunting ghost story that crosses the thin line between passion and obsession.
Greenfingers (1999)In a role-reversal, an old man goes from house to house offer-ing to cut the grass for the young inhabitants. But does he have a hidden purpose, to find love?
Da Quixote (2005)A son takes his Da’ fishing on the back of a brightly painted model cow in a story of relationships and the onset of aging.
Maelstrom (2002)A surreal film in which a man’s spirit is severely tested, and all he can rely on is the eternal struggle to survive.
Kamikaze Doga
Kaimikaze Doga are a collective of multi-disciplined Japanese filmmakers and animators focusing on both 3D computer generated animation as well as the more traditional 2D genre. They have produced a number of short films and commercials.
Amanatsu (2009)A morbid, but striking science fiction film about a young girl (Japanese dialogue only, no subtitles).
The Last Piece (2009)A man sits idly in his living room watching television, when suddenly he becomes hunted by a strange creature.
Dr. (2009)Namie and Dr. Cronus, wake up from cold sleep in 3000 A.D. and try to send warnings to the citizens of the past about abuse of the environment and weapons of mass destruction.
23SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
DEPARTMENT
A little girl is terribly afraid of monsters.
They are everywhere: in the cellar, out on the street and under her bed. They even look over her shoulder when she does her homework.
Me and My Monster Claudia Rothlin (Switzerland) 2008 / 3:21Language: N/AGenre: Animation
Claudia Rothlin qualified as a graphic
designer before studying animation at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
A little girl’s toy bear “Makuma” dreams
about what it would be like to go on an overseas trip.
Makuma’s Foreign Journey Tsuneo Goda (Japan) 2007 / 10:00 Language: Japanese with English subtitles Genre: Animation
Amongst his work in the the animation
field, Tsuneo Goda was previously the director of the popular animated series “Domo-kun” for NHK Television.
A tale of an imaginative young
girl who tries to climb onto a swing that is too high, with the help of a beautiful butterfly.
The Children’s Tree Abel Ruiz-Vazquez (Hungary) 2008 / 2:40Language: N/A Genre: Animation
Abel Ruiz-Vazquez was born in 1982
in Ulm, Germany. He was awarded scholarships from the Leonardo da Vinci Foundation and the DAAD Foundation and studied under Hungarian director Lajos Nagy.
A droplet of water escapes from a
basin and makes an epic journey to be reunited with the sea.
A Drop In The Ocean Theodore Veneris, Dimitris Cheliotis (Greece) 2008 / 3:08Language: N/A Genre: Animation
Born in 1972, Theodore Veneris
has worked as an assistant director on over 100 television commercials and has directed a number of previous short films and documentaries.
A little humming bird faces the
mighty King of the Jungle and his gang.
Humming Bird Paolo Zucca (Italy) 2009 / 1:00Language: ItalianGenre: Animation
Paolo Zucca has an MA in screenwriting
and co-wrote the 2003 feature film Borsellino’s Angels. In 2004 obtained a Masters in Direction and has now directed five short films and about 30 commercials.
Exploring our ignorance
intolerance as individuals towards the environmental problems facing the world.
Curious Todd and the Mysterious Dream Ganesh Gothwal, Rahul Jogale (India) 2009 / 7:28Language: EnglishGenre: Animation
Emantras MLab, the creators of the
work are stop-motion and animation specialists with offices in Chennai, India and California, USA.
Based on the traditional Japanese
fairytale “Urashima Tarou” in which a boy and a turtle venture into the ocean and discover the problems we face due to pollution and damage to the marine ecology.
Sea and Life Sebastien Godard (Japan) 2008 / 8:16Language: Japanese with English subtitles Genre: Animation
Sea and Life was made by a group of
10-year-old Japanese school children in a workshop run by experienced Belgian Director and Animator Sebastien Godard.
Josue trades his donkey for a “magic
macaxeira” (a type of plant); an act that leads to a fantastic adventure.
Josue E O Pe De Macaxeira Diogo Pereira Viegas (Brazil) 2009 / 12:00Language: N/AGenre: Animation
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1981, Diogo Pereira
Viegas studied animation before embarking on a career as a director of several short films and a number of commercial projects.
24 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009 SPECIAL EdItIOn - FEStIvAL FILM gUIdE
The story of little Miu and her friend
Jiro, who through his crazy ideas sometimes makes life difficult for both of them.
Jiro and Miu Jun Nito (Czech Republic) 2007 / 7:50Language: N/A Genre: Animation
Jun was born in Japan in 1981 and
studied at Film School Zlin, majoring in animation, from 2005 – 2007. Jiro and Miu is his graduation film.
A fantasy set in a shop selling small
characters made from plastic cords, Nicolas the little musician” is the only one fully finished. He wakes up one day and decides to build “Guillemette the little dancer”.
Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs (ENSAD), Paris in 2001 and worked for 6 years as a 3D graphic designer. Nicolas and Guillemette is her first animation short.
A fast-paced, frenetic and
surreal tale featuring an unsuccessful hunt by the last two stupid carnivorous dinosaurs on the planet!
We can discern two major themes running through this year’s National Program, namely ecology and family conflicts. Some of the shortest works belong to the first area. 2D animation Frog Seed tracks the tragic trip of a frog from its home deep in the jungle to the dirty canals of the big city, and its consequent revenge on urbanization. Round Road, on the other hand, takes a full circle journey that starts inside a train carriage. Local production The Song of the Red Forest features two fox-like fortunetellers singing a traditional folk song. And Sho Kataoka’s live short film 28 disguises itself as a horror film to alert us to the perils of global warming by showing the difficulties of a young woman trying to keep her air-conditioner under control despite a strange presence in her home.
Returning to non-live action works, Tsukumo no Kimuchi is an extraordinary graduation project by Hideki Miyazaki , who fills the screen with images of surreal perspectives and human-like insects and fish. Surrealism, mythology and lack of communication between a father and his son make up the story for Kudan, a fascinating and disturbing short, which sees the father transformed into a mythological Japanese creature of a cow with a human head, while trying to save his son’s life and his own. This along with Cencoroll and Tailenders is perhaps the most accomplished anime in the Japanese section. Something of a cult internet phenomenon, Cencoroll is an achievement in all senses as Atsuta Uki single-handedly wrote, designed and animated his award-winning manga of the same title. Fans of Katsuhiro Otomo will be deeply satisfied with this tale of a high school girl who befriends a boy and his monster, able to transform itself into anything. Kei Shozuzawa produced Tailenders presents a classic, outlandish tale of a brilliant racing driver, who after suffering a near fatal accident has his heart replaced by the engine of his beloved car.
Family conflicts arise in Potato Mayonnaise, a Sapporo production by veteran local director Eiji Shimada. When
a young girl harbors personal desires of serving as an international aid volunteer, she clashes with her mother’s wishes for her to remain at home and help with the running of the family bakery. Also exploring family problems in a more dramatic fashion is Rapunzel, a chilling and ironic take on the story by the Grimm Brothers, where a mother keeps her beautiful daughter in captivity and uses her as a human-mirror, their life being interrupted by the appearance, not of a prince, but an officer from the family registry department. Ferris Wheel at 3:03:15PM is by Hiroyuki Nakano, perhaps the most well known Japanese director in the mix, and features masterful use of chiaroscuro. Actor Tomorowo Taguchi, of “Tetsuo’s” fame, stars as an unemployed family man on his final ride on a Ferris wheel where he will has an unexpected encounter. Nakano also produces the comedy Mt. Fuji and Doughnuts, with TV talent Lou Ohshiba in the only role as a golf enthusiast, who perseveres despite his excruciating hemorrhoids!
Masaya Kakehi, best know for his previous work Canned Beauties, demonstrates how even with a super shoestring budget you can still tell an interesting story. The Love Story of Fingers, literally consists of four fingers, two brothers and two sisters, who fall in love, get married and have little fingers. A Stop, by Yukuse Takubi, is my personal favorite. A young man teaches his unlucky-in-love friend an infallible technique for picking up girls in the street, which he tries immediately with enormous success. This surprisingly well-acted comedy drama presents some of the best Japanese slice of life scenes that I have seen in a long time.
National Program N-A: Frog Seed, A Stop, Round Road, Rapunzel, The Song of the Red Forest, Love Story of Fingers, Taildenders
National Program N-B: 28, Mt. Fuji and Doughnuts, Tsukumo no Kimochi, A Ferris Wheel at 3:03:15 p.m., Kudan, Potato Mayonnaise, Cencoroll
National ProgramThe National Program features films selected from around Japan. Sapporo Source decided to ask our own Japanese film expert, Joaquin da Silva to cast his eye over them and give us his thoughts.
25OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
DEBITO
Following last month’s musical excursion, Debito turns his attention to f ilmALtHOUgH I AM A FAn OF A good chilling book or movie, I wouldn’t call myself an aficionado of horror flicks. Most boil down to the same old thing: something off-camera stalks people we’ve gotten to know and inflicts shock-horror. Although sometimes interesting in execution, most horror shares something with one-note genres like porno – characters in a hurry to do the same thing over and over again.
But one segment of the genre enjoying a deserved revival is the zombie movie. It is far more chilling because it goes beyond the lurking lunatic in the shadows. It offers us a view of society itself.
Zombies as a concept did start off one-note. Combining the undead and reanimated elements of vampire and monster flicks, our first golems were shambolic – basically shuffling assistants with arms outstretched, commanded to absorb bullets and carry the fainted girl.
They were also limited in scope. Run fast enough, or just “don’t go into that dark place” (be it graveyard, haunted house, chamber of horrors, or room with creaky door), and you could escape the horror. The threat did not affect society in general.
That changed somewhat with the first prototype of modern zombies: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Famous for its allegory of infiltrating communism, people were being stealthily replaced by soulless copies. What made it scary was no one controlled them. All they had to do was keep increasing their ranks, and there would be no escape. (That is, until they were found out and were stopped; after all, this was Hollywood under the Hays Code.)
But then came the classic and groundbreaking Night of the Living Dead
(1968), taking all the elements of hitherto horror (invulnerable male leads rescuing screaming girls at the last minute, resolved endings) and turning them on their head. All our characters made mistakes, followed the wrong advice, and met gruesome ends – with a lot of gore camouflaged by black and white photography. The most chilling thing: an ending where humanity might not be able to save itself.
The next notable was the full-color Dawn of the Dead (1978), giving us more of what we now expected (creative ways to blow up and rend body parts) with an actual plot: We hid in a safe haven of plenty (a mall) and waited for the storm to pass. Except that it doesn’t.
This is where the genre was brought full circle: the zombie movie as a vision of the apocalypse. Human society was as fragile as the next panic, breaking down as easily as a person could revert to an animalistic state, dooming others with an infectious idea, or bite. It offered the vision of dystopia as clear as any threat or fear of nuclear annihilation.
I of course didn’t think this deeply about zombies as a teen. I was just there to hide my eyes through split fingers and hope to be put off my popcorn. But as the years passed, I realized that the zombie movie infiltrated my dreams like no other.
I found myself scoping out any living quarters for escape routes, in case of possible maniac attack. It was pretty simple: There were places you could hide from Michael Myers. You could wake up from Freddie. You could ward off a vampire with two pencils crossed, or even use garlic salt. In any case, as soon as the sun rose, you were safe from most monsters.
But not from zombies: the enemy was time, and sheer numbers of infected. And the more you thought about it, the more zombies chilled and inspired your imagination.
The next quantum leap in the zombie universe (after years of crappy copies) was 28 Days Later (2002). Here the new and improved zombies did not walk with their shoulders. They ran. At you. In broad daylight. And once infected, you didn’t take a while to wither and die: You joined their ranks in seconds and could decimate a safe haven in minutes.
That was ramped up even further in a (rare) worthy sequel: 28 Weeks Later (2007) and a great remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004). All movies ended with the ultimate horror – the lack of hope.
Back to Halloween. If you want to give the genre a try and see how profoundly they creep into your nightmares, here’s Uncle Debito’s guide to the best zombie flicks:
Night of the Living Dead (1968 -- avoid the 25th Anniversary version), Dawn of the Dead (1978), 28 Days Later (2002), 28 Weeks Later (2007), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Evil Dead (1981) and its silly splatstick remake Evil Dead II (1987).
Then watch the genre parody itself: Shaun of the Dead (2004), From Dusk ‘Til Dawn (1996, technically a vampire movie, but geeky about monster countermeasures), Fido (2006, aka Zombino in Japan), Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s queasy Braindead (1992 aka Dead/Alive), and finally Re-Animator (1985). Then sink your teeth into the fiction book World War Z, a diary about the Zombie Wars that engulfed earth.
See them unflinchingly and uncompromisingly in this order. I dare ya.
■ Arudou debito is a columnist for the Japan Times and published author of three books: Japanese Only: The Otaru Hot Springs Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan (English and Japanese versions), and Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan (co-written with Akira Higuchi). He is also an associate professor at Hokkaido Information University and a naturalized Japanese citizen. His website, updated daily, is at www.debito.org.
A Halloween defense of the Zombie Movie
26 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009
シェフのコーナー
“bREAKFASt IS tHE MOSt important meal of the day” – perhaps, but not in Sapporo and certainly not for busy chefs. The city is a lunch paradise. Next time you’re in town around the middle of the day, I suggest that you pass on the pickled fish guts, embrace your hangover and have lunch, which - by the way - is eaten between 11am and 4pm. I’ve seen svelte office ladies in their neatly pressed trouser suits put away some hefty lunches here and I’ve all but passed out after a liquid lunch with local businessmen who hardly touched their pasta or dessert. (You did pass out - Ed).
Not so long ago, a certain fore- runner to this magazine regularly gave the impression that thriftiness was more important than to have enjoyed a great meal; that the quest for a bargain lunch (including if possible, the shirt off the chef’s back) took precedence over quality. While not cracking a 1,000-yen note is all well and good, I think they missed the point.
Our guest chef this month is American Richard Robbins from the Cross Hotel in downtown Sapporo whose Agora Restaurant has already gained a healthy reputation for the quality of its food under his direction, and in particular its lunch buffet.
BrADlEy CAllAghAn TAlkS To ThE CroSS hoTEl'S riChArD roBBinS リチャード・ロビンス クロスホテル
シェフのコーナー
27OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
As always, a good barometer when you walk in to enjoy lunch in a hotel here is the amount of discerning, conservatively dressed ‘ladies-who-lunch’ seated all around. When these seasoned punters make up a large proportion of the dining room then you know your yen is going to get you value and great quality.
The food is Italian-inspired and Richard and his team should be commended for the excellent menu they’ve created. The attention to detail is an indication of the passion and love for food by all involved. At a very modest 1980 yen per person, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more bang for your buck anywhere in the city, and all within the elegant, contemporary surrounds of the Cross Hotel and its cutting-edge interior design.
Richard himself has spent time in Italy, initially for post-graduate training in Piedmont and then working at the five-star Hotel Bellagio in Milan, having started out in Chicago and Portland back in the States. Now he finds himself inspired by the quality of the produce available to him in Hokkaido.
“The quality of ingredients here is excellent, seafood and vegetables particularly”, says Richard. “Japanese customers seem to demand that little bit of extra quality, compared to the US and Europe, they’re very keen on that. Japanese people are extremely passionate about food but I guess they express themselves a little differently here”.
"If you have good quality ingredients and cook them correctly, you don’t need to make too much of a fuss about it."
Richard is also impressed by the work ethic of people in the culinary industry in Japan. “They’re extremely focused and they want to learn about what they don’t understand. They’re a little more dedicated to taking the time to do research. For example, we source our meat from a particular farm in Hokkaido. Our staff will go to enormous lengths to research the process so they can explain it to the customer”.
Perhaps due to his Italian sojourn, Richard’s philosophy on food is simple: “Quality ingredients, proper cooking techniques and simplicity. If you have good quality ingredients and cook them correctly, you don’t need to make too much of a fuss about it. Of course we care about presentation but if you start out with those fundamentals, it will take care of itself”.
With his hectic schedule overseeing service at one of the busiest hotel restaurants in the city, it’s not surprising that Richard rarely gets time to cook at home. When he does, it’s a simple nabe that does the job.
Nor is it surprising that he seldom gets time to eat breakfast (two cups of coffee is the norm). Grabbing something quick to eat before dinner service is ‘lunch’ and that’s the inspiration behind this month’s recipe. “This is really quick to make, about ten minutes - breakfast, lunch and dinner in one sandwich!”
Mix the mascarpone, capers, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread the butter and mascarpone on both sides of the bread. layer on the smoked salmon, red onion and cucumber. Slice the sandwich in half; serve with a fresh green salad.
■ Agora, Cross Hotel: 2-23 Kita 2 Jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0002. Tel: 011-272-0068 www.crosshotel.com (Breakfast Buffet - 0700-1000, ¥1890; Lunch Buffet - 1130-1500 ¥1980, Dinner - 1730-2200)
28 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009
29OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
Restaurant Review: Kamado Maruyama
It WASn’t SO LOng AgO, In tHE 1960s during the Japanese economic boom, that hamburg (ハンバーグ, hanbāgu) steak was considered a luxury. Back then hanbāgu eaten with a knife and fork symbolized a modern westernized lifestyle that many Japanese aspired to. In fact it was only a very recently that I discovered that Hamburg (steak) was originally eaten by poor workers in Germany. And in the United States, it was a cheap alternative for beefsteak during the war, spawning the now infamous fast food.
However, hamburg steak took a completely different route here in Japan. With keen craftsmanship and an inventive cooking technique, the Japanese raised up this pauper’s meal into the epitomy of the “yoshoku” menu, a Japanese interpretation of western food. Today hanbāgu restaurants are commonplace throughout Japan.
Kamado Maruyama however is not your average hamburg restaurant. Located on upmarket Maruyama Urasando Street, it serves only 100% Tankaku beef from a single farm in Kita-Tokachi. It was first introduced to me by a magazine editor from Tokyo as one of his clients, a big hamburger chain owner in the Kanto area heard about
Kamado’s reputation and came all the way to Sapporo to investigate. They invited me to join them for the evening.
Our reservation was at 7:30pm by which time the restaurant was almost full. We were directed to a back room with a nice fireplace. The famous signature Kamado or stone oven was located in the front area and visible from each seat.
Ordering was relatively straightforward: a la carte or the course menu for 2,625 yen. The latter comes with soup, salad, appetizer, choice of hamburg steak, dessert and coffee. Homemade bread or Hokkaido white rice is an included option. The hamburg steaks are cooked to order and come with a choice of 13 sauces and in two standard sizes (160g or 190g) or larger if you’re willing to pay a little extra.
Personally I went medium rare with horseradish sauce but “three cheeses” made with raclette from the famous Kyodo Gakusha farm in Tokachi was sorely tempting. Grated spicy daikon with chopped shiso leaves, Madeira sauce served with half a raw egg, and spicy habanero chili tomato sauce were among the other standout choices.
The green salad was at first sight fairly standard, but leaves were crisp, fresh and tossed well with a fragrant virgin olive oil
house dressing. The focaccia and rice bread were also excellent accompaniments.
When the the time came, the sizzling hot barrel-shaped hamburg hot from the Kamado oven was carefully placed on a iron plate and in less than 10 seconds, was in front of me, sitting on a wooden board. We paused for a moment while the waiter poured the sauce, causing sizzling juices to erupt from the plate (luckily we were wearing the bibs provided) and a cloud of steam to violently envelop my immediate vicinity for a short time. The smell was simply heavenly.
The meat was cooked to perfection and the stone oven cooking method had successfully seared the outside while sealing in the meat juices to give a very satisfying and lingering taste. Although I tend not to eat a lot of beef when dining for pleasure, the tankakugyu (beef) used by Kamado is less fatty and in my opinion more flavorsome than the fattier shimofuri often used elsewhere.
Kamado Maruyama has 22 seats. Lunch starts at 11:30pm and is set menu only for 1,260 yen. It’s a good deal and everyone knows it, so be early, make a reservation or be prepared to queue.
■ Kamado Maruyama: 1-13, South 1 West 21, Tel: 011-623-5566. Closed on Monday.
A farmer by day and a restaurateur in the evening, Sugawara is tanned and well presented in his working uniform. He sources most of his ingredients from local producers in Ebetsu, Eniwa, Wassamu and beyond, and the rest from his own small organic garden. He took up farming himself a few years ago, has become so passionate about his work that he often literally spends nights in sleeping in a tent, right alongside his vegetables!
The menu changes monthly while some staples remain constant. It’s all in Japanese, but wave your copy of Sapporo Source and the friendly waitress will probably try out her English if the place isn’t too busy.
Simply structured, the four page menu kicks off with “karui otsumami” or light appetizers including bruschetta with blue cheese and unpasteurized honey, Okinawa sweet potato chips, and home made panzanella.
Page two features vegetable dishes, and should not be missed. Each month the restaurant features one particular vegetable in season, for example akinasu or autumn eggplant for September and kabocha pumpkin for October. Tomatoes, potatoes, leaves, and other seasonal vegetables then follow. All the vegetable dishes are equally priced at ¥600. If you’re having a tough time choosing, the Chef ’s selection is a safe bet which three items for a very reasonable ¥1500.
Page three is reserved for seafood and meat. Most dishes are priced at around ¥1000 to ¥1500 with Hokkaido Wagyu beef steak (150 g for ¥3800 ) being the most expensive item. A good tip would be to try the signature gnocchi made with choice of gorgonzola, tomato, or peperoncine sauce.
Restaurant Review: NachuLa
tHE Kt 3JOU bUILdIng basement is one of those popular destinations hosting an assortment of small but attractive eateries. The wide variety and styles of food and entertainment, from homely izakaya to jazz bar means that salarymen and hip young things are equally well catered for. Recently I discovered another of its buried treasures: NachuLa, a casual restaurant and wine bar with a focus on garden fresh organic local produce.
Upon turning up at 5.30pm, I didn’t see any fellow diners at all, but it was perhaps a little early for dinner anyway. However, distant laughter from an unseen location meant others were already here, hidden by the Indonesian drapes that hang loosely separating each table into its own little secluded area.
NachuLa, although not a vegetarian restaurant, is sure to delight any non-meat eaters reading this review.
“You don’t have to eat meat or fish here, but you won’t miss it,” explains Akihiro Sugawara, sommelier and owner of the five-year-old establishment. “NachuLa,” he continues, “takes a different approach. There are so many restaurants that specialize in serving great meat and fish dishes, but vegetables are always a side. I wanted to create a restaurant that specializes in cooking amazing vegetables”.
And so he did. And for once, rather than taking their usual supporting role, the veggies are the stars of the show.
As a starter I had chopped Capri style green tomatoes carefully piled with basil and a small piece of mozzarella to form a tower, dressed with olive oil. With a hint of citrus is was light and refreshing, and went well with a glass of white.
My friend who was dining with me finally arrived around 8 pm and we ordered some vegetable dishes to share. Our selection included chovicabe (cabbage and small pieces of chicken fillet sautéed in savory anchovy sauce), goya (a bitter melon dish), and quiche of the day. Do not miss the quiche! Strictly limited to only six servings per evening, allow around 20 minutes to be for it to be prepared – it’s worth the wait.
If you’re hungering to increase the meat content, we’d recommend the Okinawa agu-buta (pork) dish, house-made sausages, smoked or boiled (¥1200), vegetable stew with tomatoes (¥1200), or pork confit served with spicy sauce (¥1400).
For each course we enjoyed an excellent selection of wines by the glass, all recommended by Sugawara. As a veteran sommelier he takes pride in his wine selection, and with over 250 labels from France, Italy, Spain, and the New World including Japan who wouldn’t? Prices start at from ¥2800 and there are plenty of bottles under ¥5,000 and wine by-the-glass options are available with 15 labels to choose from. The selection changes daily and price ranges from ¥600 to ¥1000.
Farm to Table
30 SAPPORO SOURCE OCTOBER 2009
by HIROMI tAKEdA
31OCTOBER 2009 SAPPORO SOURCE
By the time the last dish arrived on the table, we were quite full, and didn’t have any room for fresh ice cream or tiramisu (both made from scratch, in-house) or any of the other monthly specials. A dessert assortment plate is available from which you can enjoy three choices for ¥1000.
NachuLa sets out to satisfy demanding Sapporina and Sapprorini with straightforward yet elegant flavors made with the freshest local produce and serves it in a relaxing, intimate space. The place opens till 2 am, so you don’t have to get there too early. But on the other hand, when the food is this good why not make an evening of it?
■ nachuLa: South 3 West 2, 6-1, KT 3Jou Building, B1FTel: 011-281-1678www.nachula.com
Segura Viudas Brut Reserve Shipped over from Spain, it is widely available around town. I got mine from Fujii Wine shop (see last month for the address). From memory it was around 1400 yen. Sparkling wines from Spain are not called Champagne, but Cava (cava is Spanish for cave, which traditionally was where the wine was made). Excellent nose with a lovely hint of freshly cut Granny Smith apples – a classic characteristic of good sparkling wine. Dry, clean and crisp with a traditional cork closure.
WHItE
Washington Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This easy drinking wine comes from America, specifically Columbia Valley, Washington state. I bought this wine from Kotobukiya in Maruyama. It was around 1200 yen. The acid was soft and the fruit characters reminded me of fresh peaches. This wine was great value and made for drinking now. I would try this with a fresh garden salad. Screw cap closure.
REd
Coates Shiraz 2005 Purchased at Imamuraya in Maruyama Class for 3420 yen. This Australian wine is 100% organic, from McLaren Vale, the famous wine region in South Australia. The vintage (2005) is classified as a very good one and it shows in the taste. The wine’s colour is a very deep and dense dark red and vibrant for a 4-year-old. Lovely rich fruit characters hit you immediately away. Blackberries and ripe cherries come to mind, with great spice. A nice palate with flavour hitting you straight away and lingering on long after the wine is consumed. If you’re looking for a dish to go with this one, try anything rich. Venison would be perfect, or a strong flavoured cheese – try an Italian Pecorino. Not the cheapest wine but good value for the quality. Cork closure.
bACK In 1990, tHE AMERICAn
current affairs show '60 Minutes' introduced what was termed “the French paradox”, which had a huge affect on red wine consumption in America and Japan. The French suffer a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease despite a diet that has a high saturated fat intake and high red wine consumption. These days red
wine is widely known to help fight cholesterol but even as recently as 20 years ago, this was something of a revelation to most people.
So drink up, but remember “everything in moderation”. One glass a day is plenty to get the health benefits of wine, so make sure you buy yourself a big glass!
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "the Rock Show vol. 3" - THE CHOOSERS / THE MARGARETTES /DIALS (Mito) / THE STAND BY ME (Tokyo) Open: 19:30 Start: 20:00 Adv: ¥1,500 Door: ¥2,000
ZEPP: "Mount Alive presents the future of live" - 曽我部恵一BAND/毛皮のマリーズ/RYUKYUDISKO/小谷美紗子/
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "FRESH nOISE vol.1" - FIGHT IT OUT(横浜)/FORCE OUT(群馬)/ FROM ONE STEP(網走)/The FIVE VERSE/YUKIGUNI/HELLNE/DJ: DARK SIDE DSC Open: 19:30 Start: 20:00 Adv: ¥1,500 Door: ¥2,000
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "It'S A FACt RECORdS presents dEMO CRAZy nIgHt vol.4" - ELECTRIC SUMMER(東京)/BAMbi(東京)/TWO LAYERS OF PAINT/SNATCH Open: 18:00 Start: 18:30 Adv: ¥2,000 Door: ¥2,500
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "tHE FACE In LIvE tOUR - COyOtE" - THE FACE / TURKEY / SOW / ROSALYN / The CHEVY / THE BULLET VICTIM'59 / ヘル★ダイ Open: 18:00 Start: 18:30 Adv: ¥1,500 Door: ¥2.000
Wednesday 14th October
ZEPP: "Music Is good Medicine”JAPAn tOUR 2009" - Jake Shimabukuro (ukulele) Open: 18:30 Start: 19:00 Adv: ¥6,500
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "WAtUSI ZOMbIE nEW ALbUM 『WE ARE tHE WORLd!!!』RELEASE PARty In SAPPORO" - ワッツーシゾンビ(大阪) / 角煮 / THE LUMDEES / F.H.C.with VJ ReguRegu / Open: 19:30 Start: 19:30 Adv: ¥2,000 Door: ¥2,500
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "SEt yOU FREE" - RADIOTS(東京)/SNATCH/St.ELMO'S FIRE/supporting-meOpen: 19:00 Start: 19:30 Adv: ¥2,000 Door: ¥2,500
PEnny LAnE 24: "キマグレンtOUR 2009 -KId In tHE SKy-" - キマグレン Open: 18:00 Start: 18:30 Adv: ¥4,500
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "LOSt WEEKEndER do you Know nItEHEAd? tour" - LOST WEEKENDER(東京)/ JANE ANDROID LADY / Alvaro / オレオ / Sail / Strawberry Fields Open: 18:00 Start: 18:30 Adv: ¥1,500 Door: ¥2,000
thursday 22nd October
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "SMASH" - SERVICE AGE + more Open: TBC Start: TBC Adv: ¥TBC Door: ¥TBC
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "In the Air" - Sorrys!(東京)/ Wanderlust / モンシロチョウは胃の中 / 4points / The last bus to London(室蘭)/ GALEGA Open: TBC Start: TBC Adv: TBC Door: TBC
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "tEddy bOy nItE" - SIDE-ONE(東京)/THE BOTS(大阪)/YOUNG PARISIAN(東京)/GREASY (ex THE ROCK)/TURKEY/鬚楽団/BRAIN STORM(名寄) Open/Start: 20:00 Adv: ¥5,000 Door: ¥5,500
PEnny LAnE 24: "bKtS 2009" - ASPARAGUS/the band apart/COMEBACK MY DAUGHTERS/lostage Open: 16:30 Start: 17:30 Adv: ¥3,000
KLUb COUntER ACtIOn: "third eye creation tour09'-10'&MAtCH At MOMEnt vol.3" - TRIBAL CHAIR(埼玉)/Anti Social Student(八王子)/THE LOCAL ART(東京)/fault Open: 19:00 Start: 19:30 Adv: ¥1,500 Door: ¥2,000
SPIRItUAL LOUngE: "travelling Spoon Release tour" - tokyo pinsalocks(fromTokyo)/Jake stone garage / ナナイロマン / アシュラシンドローム / blue light Open: 17:30 Start: 18:00 Adv: ¥2,000 Door: ¥2,500
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