Japan Japan
Encyclopedia
Japan Japan is a 2007
film
directed by Lior Shamriz
, starring Imri Kahn.
, but dreams of moving to Japan
. Through his relationships and encounters and in diverse cinematic tools
, we are introduced to the young man's life. An exploration of living in the exotic
city of Tel Aviv is presented through a hero who is himself in the midst of exploring his own choice of an exotic place. A unique correlation is formed between the hero's misconception of Japan and ours of him. The movie was constructed by both improvised
and pre-scripted
scenes, as required by the nature of each scene.
, the New York Museum of Modern Art
, the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival
and more than fifty film festivals. Due to dozens of copyright violations the film has not been commercially released. It is, however, well distributed through the underground network of illegal art distribution
.
The filmmaker said about the film: One interesting challenge was how to create an interesting viewing experience in a film where it is impossible for the viewer to experience the film through the hero's eyes. As the hero says himself: 'Whoever looks at me, expects to see the drama or the thoughts, but the face is empty.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Lior Shamriz
Lior Shamriz
Lior Shamriz is a writer, producer, and film director. He currently resides in Berlin. A prolific filmmaker, churning out experimental shorts and two features, Lior Shamriz channels the trickster spirit of the 60's auteurs in his cinema of humorous/political deconstruction...
, starring Imri Kahn.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Imri Kahn | Imri |
| Tal Meiri | Tal |
| Irit Gidron | Irit |
| Naama Yuria | Naama |
| Amnon Friedman | Amnon |
| Benny Ziffer Benny Ziffer Benny Ziffer is an Israeli author and journalist.-Life and career:Ziffer was born in Tel Aviv. His parents, Heinz and Nira , immigrated to Israel from Turkey in 1949. Ziffer studied French literature and political science. He is married to Irit, and they have three children... |
Benny |
Plot
The film tells the story of Imri, who at 19 goes to live in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, but dreams of moving to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Through his relationships and encounters and in diverse cinematic tools
Film theory
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large...
, we are introduced to the young man's life. An exploration of living in the exotic
Exoticism
Exoticism is a trend in art and design, influenced by some ethnic groups or civilizations since the late 19th-century. In music exoticism is a genre in which the rhythms, melodies, or instrumentation are designed to evoke the atmosphere of far-off lands or ancient times Exoticism (from 'exotic')...
city of Tel Aviv is presented through a hero who is himself in the midst of exploring his own choice of an exotic place. A unique correlation is formed between the hero's misconception of Japan and ours of him. The movie was constructed by both improvised
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
and pre-scripted
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
scenes, as required by the nature of each scene.
Production
The film was reportedly produced for as little as 200 USD, with volunteer actors and no additional crew. Nevertheless, it was presented at some prestigious venues around the world such as the Locarno Film FesivalLocarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
, the New York Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, the Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
and more than fifty film festivals. Due to dozens of copyright violations the film has not been commercially released. It is, however, well distributed through the underground network of illegal art distribution
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
.
Critical reception
The film received polar reviews from the critics, ranging from cutting edge, brilliant to the horror of video when it falls into the wrong hands. The film was named by MoMA chief curator as one of the top ten films of 2008.The filmmaker said about the film: One interesting challenge was how to create an interesting viewing experience in a film where it is impossible for the viewer to experience the film through the hero's eyes. As the hero says himself: 'Whoever looks at me, expects to see the drama or the thoughts, but the face is empty.
External links
- Official site
- Japan Japan at Yahoo! MoviesYahoo! MoviesYahoo! Movies , provided by the Yahoo! network, is home to a large collection of information on movies, past and new releases, trailers and clips, box office information, and showtimes and movie theater information. Yahoo! Movies also includes red carpet photos, actor galleries, and production...
- Interview with the film's director - from IndiewireIndieWireindieWIRE is a daily news site for the independent film community. It covers indie, documentary and foreign language films, as well industry news, film festival reports, filmmaker interviews and movie reviews...
- Review by Bill Weber - at Slant MagazineSlant MagazineSlant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...