ID :
131205
Sat, 07/03/2010 - 21:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/131205
The shortlink copeid
Screening of documentary `The Cove` starts in Japan
TOKYO, July 3 Kyodo -
The Oscar-winning U.S. documentary ''The Cove'' about a controversial dolphin
hunt in a western Japanese town ended its opening day screening at six theaters
in Japan on Saturday, without major disruptions despite protests that caused
earlier screenings to be canceled.
With police officers patrolling around the theaters in Hachinohe, Sendai,
Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto and Osaka, no major turmoil has been reported so far.
In Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, Theatre Image Forum said all three screenings for the
day were full. ''We are relieved that we could run the screenings without
incident,'' the 108-seat theater said in a released statement.
In Yokohama city, seven people who appeared to be right-wing group members
gathered in front of Yokohama New Theatre and protested against the showing. A
48-year-old man who claims to be a key member of the group said, ''Its content
is anti-Japanese and tramples Japanese culinary culture.''
While around 10 police officers were on watch near the theater, three civic
group members were showing a sign that read, ''It's quite all right to show The
Cove.''
The film opened at 10 a.m., drawing roughly 50 spectators. ''I just wanted to
watch this film before giving a thought to the controversy over it,'' a
64-year-old woman said.
A 57-year-old man said he does not oppose dolphin hunts but came to the
Yokohama theater to watch the movie ''fraught with various problems.''
Eighteen other cinemas in 16 prefectures plan to screen the film in the days to
come.
A 24-year-old graduate school student from Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, said
after watching the film in Yokohama, ''It was really cruel to see the seawater
run so red with the dolphins' blood, and I could become aware of what I had not
known. The film will provide opportunities to consider right and wrong of
dolphin hunting.''
He added, however, ''I thought it focuses only on what its producers wanted to
say, while paying less attention to fishermen's views.''
The film, which shows the traditional dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama
Prefecture, was originally scheduled to be screened at 26 theaters across Japan
starting June 26.
But it has drawn criticism from some Japanese groups claiming it is
anti-Japanese. They have intimidated theaters that planned to show the film and
led three of the theaters in Tokyo and Osaka to cancel screenings.
According to its Japanese distributor, Unplugged Inc., four of the six theaters
showing the film on Saturday were targets of street protests or were
intimidated. Of the four, two in Tokyo and Yokohama successfully applied for a
court injunction against civic groups staging protests around the theaters.
The people of Taiji have also objected to the documentary, which was mostly
shot in the town with hidden cameras. They claim the film is based on wrong
information and infringes on individual rights because the people were filmed
without permission.
Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said Saturday he is disappointed that the film is
finally being shown.
''I understand there should be freedom of expression but at the same time you
have to think about the rights of the fishermen and the rules (for film
production),'' Sangen said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News.
An official of the Taiji fisheries union voiced concern that showing the film
could spread misunderstanding about dolphin hunts, but added that the union
hopes audiences will get an ''exact understanding'' of what actually takes
place in the town.
''Our union doesn't have enough money and manpower to take action against the
film...we're just living ordinary lives,'' another union member said. ''It
feels Taiji is being rocked by a powerful film and powerful groups of people.''
To deal with such criticism, the distributor said it has shaded the images of
the local people and added information and expressions with subtitles to avoid
misunderstanding.
The film won the 2010 Academy Award for best documentary.
Prior to the start of screening in Japan, the Directors Guild of Japan issued a
statement Friday protesting any moves to make the theaters stop showing the
film.
''Such moves would limit opportunities to express one's thoughts and beliefs,
which are essential elements of democracy, and as a result lead to a loss of
freedom of expression,'' the statement said.
In Japan, similar pressure from right-wing groups and allegations by some
lawmakers as well as critics that the film is anti-Japanese had caused
cancellation of screenings in 2008 of the controversial documentary film
''YASUKUNI'' the film by Chinese director Li Ying.
The film depicts events and people connected to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which
is regarded as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by neighboring countries
since it honors the nation's war dead and Class-A war criminals.
==Kyodo
The Oscar-winning U.S. documentary ''The Cove'' about a controversial dolphin
hunt in a western Japanese town ended its opening day screening at six theaters
in Japan on Saturday, without major disruptions despite protests that caused
earlier screenings to be canceled.
With police officers patrolling around the theaters in Hachinohe, Sendai,
Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto and Osaka, no major turmoil has been reported so far.
In Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, Theatre Image Forum said all three screenings for the
day were full. ''We are relieved that we could run the screenings without
incident,'' the 108-seat theater said in a released statement.
In Yokohama city, seven people who appeared to be right-wing group members
gathered in front of Yokohama New Theatre and protested against the showing. A
48-year-old man who claims to be a key member of the group said, ''Its content
is anti-Japanese and tramples Japanese culinary culture.''
While around 10 police officers were on watch near the theater, three civic
group members were showing a sign that read, ''It's quite all right to show The
Cove.''
The film opened at 10 a.m., drawing roughly 50 spectators. ''I just wanted to
watch this film before giving a thought to the controversy over it,'' a
64-year-old woman said.
A 57-year-old man said he does not oppose dolphin hunts but came to the
Yokohama theater to watch the movie ''fraught with various problems.''
Eighteen other cinemas in 16 prefectures plan to screen the film in the days to
come.
A 24-year-old graduate school student from Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, said
after watching the film in Yokohama, ''It was really cruel to see the seawater
run so red with the dolphins' blood, and I could become aware of what I had not
known. The film will provide opportunities to consider right and wrong of
dolphin hunting.''
He added, however, ''I thought it focuses only on what its producers wanted to
say, while paying less attention to fishermen's views.''
The film, which shows the traditional dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama
Prefecture, was originally scheduled to be screened at 26 theaters across Japan
starting June 26.
But it has drawn criticism from some Japanese groups claiming it is
anti-Japanese. They have intimidated theaters that planned to show the film and
led three of the theaters in Tokyo and Osaka to cancel screenings.
According to its Japanese distributor, Unplugged Inc., four of the six theaters
showing the film on Saturday were targets of street protests or were
intimidated. Of the four, two in Tokyo and Yokohama successfully applied for a
court injunction against civic groups staging protests around the theaters.
The people of Taiji have also objected to the documentary, which was mostly
shot in the town with hidden cameras. They claim the film is based on wrong
information and infringes on individual rights because the people were filmed
without permission.
Taiji Mayor Kazutaka Sangen said Saturday he is disappointed that the film is
finally being shown.
''I understand there should be freedom of expression but at the same time you
have to think about the rights of the fishermen and the rules (for film
production),'' Sangen said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News.
An official of the Taiji fisheries union voiced concern that showing the film
could spread misunderstanding about dolphin hunts, but added that the union
hopes audiences will get an ''exact understanding'' of what actually takes
place in the town.
''Our union doesn't have enough money and manpower to take action against the
film...we're just living ordinary lives,'' another union member said. ''It
feels Taiji is being rocked by a powerful film and powerful groups of people.''
To deal with such criticism, the distributor said it has shaded the images of
the local people and added information and expressions with subtitles to avoid
misunderstanding.
The film won the 2010 Academy Award for best documentary.
Prior to the start of screening in Japan, the Directors Guild of Japan issued a
statement Friday protesting any moves to make the theaters stop showing the
film.
''Such moves would limit opportunities to express one's thoughts and beliefs,
which are essential elements of democracy, and as a result lead to a loss of
freedom of expression,'' the statement said.
In Japan, similar pressure from right-wing groups and allegations by some
lawmakers as well as critics that the film is anti-Japanese had caused
cancellation of screenings in 2008 of the controversial documentary film
''YASUKUNI'' the film by Chinese director Li Ying.
The film depicts events and people connected to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which
is regarded as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by neighboring countries
since it honors the nation's war dead and Class-A war criminals.
==Kyodo
