Zipangu film festival

So, ... this year's Zipangu Fest (ジパング・フェスト), a UK-wide Japanese film festival, was held between Friday 14 and Sunday 16 September at the Cinema Museum in Kennington, near Elephant & Castle.

On a side note (despite the fact I've hardly started), the Cinema Museum is a really interesting place. It's the former Lambeth Workhouse, better known as the childhood residence of Charlie Caplin. Appears to be some really interesting memorabilia there and the volunteers seem pretty invested in the place. I should definitely keep an eye on upcoming event. Only problem, it's slightly out of the way.

Last year, I saw We Don't Care About Music Anyway when the Zipangu Fest was held at the ICA. I loved it so much, as can be seen by this handy blog entry from back in May. This year I figured I would attend a couple of segments, the Beyond Anime section (returning for its third year and featuring two mid-length works ... and a bonus short film, due to technical problems on the opening night) and the closing film (Saudade).

[Note: It is around seven weeks since I attending these screenings. If my memories of details are vague, ... please forgive me. Thanks.]

Encounters (エンカウンターズ)
An exuberant one-man labour-of-love defies all expectations!

[Takashi Iitsuka - 30 minutes - HD - 2011 - Action, Animation]

Puppets. Action figures. Childhood memories, right. I had a Thunderbirds duvet and received a Captain Scarlet airbase for Christmas when I was a kid. Even made a paper-mache Tracey Island. Ah, Blue Peter. Iitsuka takes those childhood memories and uses them (with his 'Super Organic Battle Action' technique) to make a wonderfully inventive 30 minutes action flick. Soon you'll forget that you're watching action figures and puppets moving around on wires, as the nuances of this big hearted story of two guys, their adopted pooch, monsters and the obligatory evil scientist takes over. I won't say much more about the plot, as it's definitely worth trying to watch this film without knowing too much. Just enjoy the mad ride.

Takashi Iitsuka introduced the film and stayed for a question and answer session following the Beyond Anime screenings.

Review:
* Nishikata Film Review

The Great Rabbit (グレートラビット)
A magical hand-drawn animation that is also a profound conundrum.

[Atsushi Wada - 7 minutes - HD - 2012 - Animation]

"If you believe in the Rabbit, you'll believe in anything. If you don't believe in the Rabbit, it means that you wouldn't believe anything."

Apparently the Great Rabbit won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. It really didn't do much for me. It's surreal, sure ... but it didn't make me feel anything.

Review:
* Nishikata Film Review

Midori-ko (緑子)
A university researcher protects a human/vegetable hybrid in a dystopic dark fantasy that took ten years to complete.

[Keita Kurosaka - 55 minutes - HD - 2010 - Animation]

It's the dystopian future. That place belonging to Orwell and Huxley. That time when disaster or greed has taken humanity to the edge. That canvas upon which we pour all of our deepest fears. In Midori-ko, the world is facing chronic food shortages. A group of scientists strive to create the perfect super-food. They create an edible creature. It escapes from the laboratory and is rescued by a young researcher named Midori.

This film is truly beautiful. Brightly coloured crayon drawings introduce us to a child called Midori, who decides that she cannot eat animals. She grows up. The world changes. The bright colours are replaced by shadows. Yet more beautiful hand-drawn artwork. Monsters strive to save humanity, as you can imagine ... this film questions whether that humanity is worth saving or whether it has already consumed itself.

Midori-ko is a really interesting film. Slow paced, ... it's a film that washes over you and leaves you with deep questions. The relationship between Midori and the creature develops slowly, yet conflicts remain within the girl ... despite her best efforts to protect the creature.

The best description I've seen describes this film as a 'paranoid fairy-tale'. I honestly can't better that, as it's a beautiful phase for our times - our world, where everyone watches their backs and cameras watch the backs of everyone.

Reviews:
* J-film pow-wow
* Nishikata Film Review

Saudade (サウダーヂ)
A vivid and often vivacious portrait of small-town dreams and prejudices in the provincial multi-ethnic melting pot of Kofu.

[Katsuya Tomita - 167 minutes - 35mm - 2011 - Drama]

Saudade was another interesting choice to close the 2012 Zipangu Fest. It captures the nuances of small town life perfectly, although (at two and a half hours plus) it feels a little too unfocussed for its own good at times.

Katsuya Tomita (director) and Toranosuke Aizawa (scriptwriter) introduced the film and stayed for a question and answer session.

Reviews:
* Hollywood Reporter

Festival reviews:
* Mostly Film
* Rhythm Circus
* International Review

My Zipangu Fest poster, signed by Takashi Iitsuka (Encounters), Katsuya Tomita and Toranosuke Aizawa (Saudade)

Time flies by ... and I WILL SUUURVI-VE, ... LIGHT THE FUUU-SE, ... NEVER LOOO-SE

Will use this quiet Saturday evening spent listening to Muse updating my blog with some interesting events that I've attended over the past month or so, ... until I get bored or sleepy or both.

Oh, it's the Olympic song now. I like the Prelude. Perhaps more than the song. Heard this so many times during the summer. I attended a lot of events.

Okay, I don't do patriotism. I don't really care about Great Britain or England all that much. I'm glad I was born here. I'm glad I grew up here. I'm glad I live here. We're very lucky, ... but I don't immediately feel attached to other people because we share nationally. I'm quite proud of my German and Polish anchestry, sure. It's all fairly irrelevant though. Despite all that, who can't watch this video and think ... god-dammit, we rocked this whole Olympics/Paralympics hosting business. Seriously. London ruled for a few short weeks in summer 2012. People were happy. They spoke to each other on the tube. It was totally weird, ... but pretty great.

Perhaps I will write a proper blog entry about all my Olympic experiences at some point. Bit late. Would be kind of nice to look back though.

Technological woes ... and cyber-funk

Have been without living without my laptop for nearly five weeks now. It just stopped working. Retrieved it from the repair store yesterday. They can't fix it, ... or it would be prohibitively expensive to do so. Apparently the logic board has gone. I don't really know what that means. It sounds pretty crucial. They also found blu-tack in my system. What the hell!? Pretty sure that no would've been able to open it up since I brought it. Why would they want to? Hmm, Dell. This does not reflect well on you.

So, I need to buy a new computer. What a pain. No idea what to get.

Currently sitting in my (old) room at my parent's house. Using my Dad's laptop hooked up to my old monitor. He's having some problems with his screen. Listening to the new Muse album. Panic Station is pretty cool. Quite funky. Surprising. Doesn't sound like Queen. I like it. Is that a trumpet? Only three songs in, bit early to make a judgment ... but, hopefully it continues to impress.

My sister still needs to grow up...

Dredd

Dredd was infinitely better. It was also extremely violent. Obviously don't think about it too much ... and just go for the ride.

Lawless

Hmm, well. It's really hard to say what's wrong with Lawless. It looks amazing. Some really good performances. Tom Hardy is superb as ever. Perhaps he should be careful about resorting to 'tics' though. Even Shia LaBeouf isn't terrible. It just doesn't really pack any punch, ... despite all the violence.

Don't get me wrong. It's reasonable. Just don't expect anything particularly amazing.

Stressful cinematic experience

Coincidentally, I also ended up making a short visit to Lincoln on Thursday. Twice in the space of a week. I checked out Brayford Pool and the area around the University. Didn't go on a boat trip though. Could have wandered up to see the Cathedral, ... but the thought of Steep Hill put me off.

To be honest, I was really tired and had a couple of hours to kill ... so I wrote a postcard and then went to see 'Lawless' at the cinema. It was most traumatic. For some reason, I didn't understand a word the attendant was saying. Do you still call someone who works at a cinema, an attendant? Not sure. His words just seemed to melt together

Could I have a ticket for Lawless, please?

frontmiddlebackordoyouwantapremiumseatfortwopoundsextra [this is what I he inferred he was saying from a thorough analysis of the conversation on my journey home]

Um, ... sorry could you repeat that?

wouldyouliketositatthefrontthemiddleortheback

Oh, okay. Middle.

Seven pounds.

...

Are you 18. It's an 18.

I'm 27.

Oh, right. We have to ask.

Okay, ... thanks.

Too stressful. There's nothing particularly unusual about the Lincolnshire accent. Not sure why I couldn't understand this guy.

Steampunk

Last weekend I went to 'Asylum', a steampunk festival in Lincoln.

According to Wikipedia,

Steampunk is a genre that originated during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. It involves a setting where steam power is widely used—whether in an alternative history such as Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time —that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. This technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the contemporary authors Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld, and China Mieville.

Sounds cool right!?

Lincoln is a lovely city, although I didn't spend that much time exploring it. Basically I walked from the station to the Cathedral Quarter, through the High Street and up the aptly named 'Steep Hill'. Checked out some tea rooms. Wandered around the Castle in the sun. Pretty cool. Unfortunately I didn't get chance to look at the Cathedral. Maybe next time.

The steampunk festival itself was lots of fun. So many friendly people with their really inventive costumes.


Saturday

Checked out the steampunk market.

Had a go at hysterical dancing, with Lady Elsie.

Saw an interesting play by a Victorian theatre company (Don't Go into the Cellar) called 'Jekyll the Ripper':

1888, and Jack the Ripper stalks the foggy streets of London. He will never be caught - but why? Could it be because the murderer had found the perfect alibi - the ability to transform into another person? And what part does the enigmatic American actor Richard Mansfield have to play in the most notorious murder spree of all time?

Saw an even more interesting burlesque show called 'Oh Dear, What Will the Major Say?':

That was unexpected. Probably wouldn't have sat on the front row if I realised we'd be watching a burlesque show. It was pretty entertaining. The compere was highly amusing too.

Sunday

Saw a talk on character development by Kit Cox (aka Major Jack Union), the compere pictured with the ladies above.

Watched some tea duelling. Possibly the best sport ever invented. The rules involve sitting opposite your opponent. Choosing your biscuit. Dunking 75 per cent in your cuppa to a count of four ... and removing. The winner is the last person to get a clean 'nom'. Why have I never played this sport?!

Had a go at the tango. It's hard. Really hard. The man has to lead. Perhaps I'm just not decisive enough. It was pretty funny though. Hysterics by the end.


So, steampunk festival. Highly recommended.

A picture of me 'pretending' to fall into a well in the grounds of Lincoln Castle. With waistcoat. Without top hat, ... it was really hot and I left it at the hotel, alas ... for the sake of this picture.