ANPO

Excerpt from John Dower’s new book

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:19:40 +0000

I had the privilege of interviewing John Dower yesterday for the educational DVD (2011 release) of my film ANPO. John had served as the historical advisor on my film and because I chose to tell the story of ANPO more as a collage than as a conventionally narrated “documentary”, his comments on the educational DVD will prove invaluable to both educators, students and the average viewer interested in exploring the history further. In the meantime, an excerpt from his long-awaited new book, Culture of War, is up. His prose, always brilliant, positively glows, animated by his simmering outrage.

Futenma through prism of Washington Rules

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:13:53 +0000

Check out the review of the latest book by Bacevich, a super smart ex-military professor analyzing the state of “permanent war” the U.S. has wound up trapped in. It’s gratifying to find a few brave souls willing to step up to the plate.

Nishikawa Miwa on ANPO

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:12:10 +0000

A beautiful quote from the brilliant young director, Nishikawa Miwa. She is a rising star on both the cinematic and literary scene in Japan.

For ANPO
I am of the generation that gave up on it all.
By my time, the war, ANPO, the economic miracle and everything else was over and done with, defeated. Unable to identify an enemy to confront or comrades to ally with, I justify my generation and my life by remaining numb to history and to America.
And yet, nevertheless.
Isn’t our woeful state exactly what they had in mind for us? Don’t you see, they have us where they want us? Are you OK being the prostitute? OK being the pimp?
I cannot imagine anyone, Japanese or American, not breaking out in a cold sweat, confronted by the overwhelming intensity of the art in this film. Linda Hoaglund, borne between Japan, the prostitute and America, the pimp; this film is the fruit of her quiet, searing prayers.
Nishikawa Miwa – director, Wild Berries, Sway, Dear Doctor

Futenma keeps Okinawa poor

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:06:00 +0000

An elegantly translated brief essay on the source of Okinawan underlying rage over the U.S. bases today, written by a thoughtful Japanese defense analyst. The brief essay manages to send the readers’ thoughts towards all of the 700 plus bases we maintain throughout the world

Interview with ANPO director

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:34:12 +0000

Anna Takayama interviewed me about the origins of my film ANPO. If you’re interested I hope you’ll take a peek here

Postcard from Futenma

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:59:54 +0000

Most U.S. military bases in Japan open their gates to the Japanese public one day each year, to foster “friendship.” (I recently translated an essay by Japanese filmmaker Nishikawa Miwa, a Hiroshima native, who recalls her one and only visit to the Marine Corps base at Iwakuni as follows: “When I travel to the U.S. today, my poor hold on the English language often results in the frayed nerves of miscommunication, but never have I felt as distanced from Americans as in my memory of the hours I spent on that base. It was as though a bewildering wall, see-through but thick, loomed between us, transcending any language barrier.” Click here to read a report about a recent Open Base Day fiasco on Okinawa.

Okinawa High School Baseball Team National Champs

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:52:05 +0000

The Japanese equivalent to the World Series is the annual National High School Baseball Team Championship. This summer, for the first time in history, the Okinawan High School team won. It didn’t feel like an accident to me, given the rage and betrayal so many Okinawans feel over the previous prime minister’s empty broken promise to move a dangerous American airbase off the island. As it turns out, the connection between that outrage and the team’s victory was much deeper than I cold have imagined.
The team’s ace pitcher Shimabukuro Yosuke, lived right next to the controversial and dangerous Futenma Air Station in 2004, when a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed into the Okinawa International University campus. The helicopter burst into flames and debris flew in front of the apartment building where he and his family lived. Already a student leader, he was chosen to address the 30,000 local residents who rallied to express their outrage. Apparently his leadership skills, honed at a peace rally, helped carry his team to victory over all the other high schools on mainland Japan. Their welcome home victory party in Okinawa was something to behold! (from Tokyo)

ANPO poses questions for future

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:18:39 +0000

One of the many interviews I’ve had here to promote the release of ANPO in Japan in September was published in the Japan Times.

ANPO update from Tokyo

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:16:51 +0000

Staying in super muggy Tokyo promoting the theatrical release of ANPO in Tokyo on September 18th, after its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12th. Hoping to see many folks there! It’s fascinating to watch the mood shift here, as the reality of Hatoyama’s resignation settles in and many folks here sense that a fundamental power shift is underway, between China’s economic ascendancy, the U.S. Ambassador’s visit to Hiroshima and many American politicians openly questioning U.S. military base presence internationally, including Rep. Barney Frank, Ron Paul and others…

ANPO World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:47:02 +0000

The ANPO team is delighted to announce that the film has been invited for its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, on the evening of September 12th. “Charting creative impulses born of hardship, ANPO is a poetic rumination on how artists respond to a nation’s trauma” is how the Toronto International Film Festival’s catalogue description closes. To read the full description click here