Film Preservation Society

Dec 2011

Best Home Movie from HMD Japan

Celebrating "Hirosaki Castle's 400th anniversary", all "Best Home Movie 2011" films are being shown on the 3rd Dec 2011 in Hirosaki, in random order. This year the dates when the films were shot are relatively close to each other (the so called golden era of S8, in the early 1970s), and all are silent 8mm, so pioneer silent film pianist Mie Yanashita has kindly agreed to perform an improvised soundtrack to each one.

There are four films capturing some kind of traditional/regional festival sites in Japan, and one film about a burial ceremony which is the second find of this kind from HMD Japan. Is it an Asian (or Buddhist) thing to shoot at funerals? I have heard that funeral films are found in Thailand, too. Other than best home movies, there might be some more special screenings from the Tohoku region.

1. [HMD Kyoto]

(1) Sports Festival of Shudo Elementary School, (2) The Festival of Hiyossan (Hiyoshi-shrine) 1973.09.27, 1974.05.12 (S8/col/sil/10min)

Owned by Motoaki Kimura, Shot by Shoichi Kimura (Motoaki's father)

A costume parade which sets the mood for the festival, the tram lines which run all over Kyoto... things already lost are still alive in this film. These scenes from the late paper-cutout artist based in Kyoto are nothing out of the ordinary but will never return.

2. [HMD Inuyama, Aichi]

World Expo in Osaka and a Family 1970.08 (S8/col/sil/10min）

Owned and Shot by Tatsuhiko Kitamura

On a hot day in the summer, a group of 17 - the film owner Kitamura, his company workers, and their family all went to take a two nights three days trip to the World Expo in Osaka. Kitamura's wife and the daughter are wearing matching clothes, and the film tells you the congestion and excitement of the day.

3. [HMD Kodaira, Tokyo]

Tsukuda Great Festival 1974.08.04-06 (S8/col/sil/4min)

Owned and Shot by Hiroko Sato

Sumiyoshi Shrine in Chuo-ku, Tokyo holds this great festival every three years. Sato used to live in Tsukishima (Chuo-ku) and many of her relatives appear in this four-minute film. A parade going through the streets in Tsukishima gives a sense of nostalgia for a time when high-rise buildings were yet to appear.

4. [HMD Shinagawa, Tokyo]

Mt. Mitake Climbing/Funeral 1971-1972 (The funeral was on 1972.09.10-15) (S8/bw and col/sil/10min)

Owned and Shot by Toshikazu Sato

This is about a company trip to Mt. Mitake and a funeral in Fukushima. In those days in Fukushima, there was still a local tradition regarding burials. The way to bring a dead body to graveyard is an interesting custom which cannot be seen anymore.

5. [HMD Sumida, Tokyo]

Doll Festival at Abe Family 1963 (W8/bw/sil/4min)

Owned and Shot by Hideo Abe

This festival called "Hina-matsuri" is a traditional event in March to pray for girls' healthy growth. The film shows three generations of a family having a party. Girls in gorgeous kimonos, and "hina dolls" displayed around the room are impressive.

6. [HMD Yanesen, Tokyo]

Festival, Father and Mother, and All the Family Members 1972.09 (S8/col/sil/3min)

Owned and Shot by Kenji Matsushita

His film shows a festival with a 300 year history at Nezu Shrine, 40 years ago. The Mikoshi (portable shrine) goes along Shinobazu St.before it was built up, and among the spectators are the faces of Matsushita's family. The sights of the town have changed, but the excitement of the town in the Autumn is never changing.

7. [HMD Sendai, Miyagi]

Shiogama Minato Festival 1957 (W8/bw/sil/4min)

Owned by Toshitaka Shino and Shot by the owner's father [name unknown]

In the 50s, Shiogama Minato Festival was fairly large-scale, and fast and furious. This film shows a boat named Ryugu (Undersea Kingdom) with dancers, and Ho-o (Phoenix).

8. [HMD Hirosaki, Aomori]

Showa 50, Drive to Natsudomari Peninsula 1975 (S8/col/sil/10min)

Owned by Masami Shinohara, Shot by Junji Shinohara (Masami's father)

This film was shot 35 years ago in Asamushi which is known for its hot springs and the aquarium. Quite apart from the Oceanographic Laboratory and unsurfaced streets, the best shot is the charm of the daughter Masami. The camerawork which captures Masami in the very center got a big cheer from the audience.

Nov 2011

We had our 5th group visit to Sagamihara Annex, National Film Center's film vault. This year we were allowed to see the inside of the brand new facility there. While VPF suddenly became a big talking point in the film industry, this new storage space is one of our hopes for a brighter future.

Oct 2011

The 9th HMD Japan will feature/featured a film shot in the Tohoku region as its opening home movie.

Sept 2011

Japan showcases community based film archiving in Tokyo

by Kae Ishihara
Film Preservation Society, Tokyo
http://www.filmpres.org

Film Preservation Society is having a presentation session introducing three projects contributing to community based film archiving in Tokyo:

• Sumida 8mm Film Archives (Sumida Ward),
• Archives for Moving Image in Taito Ward, and
• Bunkyo Film Archive by FPS itself (BunkyoWard)

The event is on 27th October, 2011 at a historical venue, "Kyudo Kaikan". A representative from each project is going to give a 20 min. presentation on their activities, and show some short clips from recently discovered local footage.

Since film archiving projects are emerging in several different areas in Japan, we hope to make a network between them, starting from Tokyo.

Admission: 1,000 JPY, 500 JPY for Bunkyo resident and FPS member. Reservation required.

Film Salvation Project 2011

FPS-FSP's flyer designed by Haruka Komori is now printing. Haruka has been going back and forth between the Tsunami affected area in Tohoku and Tokyo and you can read her reports in four different languages here: http://genjouhoukokuno2.blogspot.com/

 

Plus, we made video guides for water-damaged 8mm film (Japanese/English). Please take a look, and give us advice! http://www.homemovieday.jp/sos/video.html

August 2011

For this year's 9th HMD Japan, most of the reps agreed on showing a film shot in Tohoku as the opening home movie.

We had an 8mm Film Inspection Workshop and a Home Movie Day reps meeting at Kawasaki City Museum on the 6th of August. A great turnout of over 20 people went straight into beer afterwards. It was a good gathering on a very hot and sticky day.

We were especially encouraged by the reps from Sendai and Hirosaki in Tohoku. HMD Sendai rep is from the affected area and involved in volunteer film screenings and is up for this year's HMD as usual.

Every year we have "Best HMD Japan" screenings afterwards, and this year we all go to Hirosaki on the first weekend of December. Everybody is welcome from home and abroad!

The 6th Film Restoration and Preservation Workshop

This is definitely one of the most important events for FPS in 2011. We are cohosts of this workshop in Kyoto Museum from 27th August. On the 28th, in the morning FPS is giving a paper on our Film Salvation Project, and then we have time for discussion with two guest speakers from Yoshioka Film Factory and HMD Hirosaki/Misawa, and also a Q&A session with all the participants. Due to the recent renovation of the venue, we can hold 100 people from this year. We hope for a good turnout to think together about how to save our precious film heritage (videotapes and other AV materials, too!).

July 2011

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, we got our very first 16mm steenbeck this month.

And also we set up our website for Film Salvation Project... please take a look at http://www.homemovieday.jp/sos/.

 

June 2011

On June 11th FPS held a lecture by Yoshiro Irie (National Film Center) at Hongo Central Church in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, where the very first Japanese films were screened on 13th - 17th of June, 1899. After the lecture we screened precious Japanese films; Momijigari 1899 and Shigeki Nanko Ketsubetsu 1921, both of which were recently appointed national cultural assets, with live performance by benshi Ichiro Kataoka and music by Mie Yanashita. We had a great turnout of 111 people, and got a really good response. The lecture is going to be shown on USTREAM today (13th of June, 2011), though only in Japanese.

 

May 2011

"Film Preservation Society Annual Report 2010" is out!