Japanese Film Festival 2022: The theatrical edition of the Japanese Film Festival has just concluded on Sunday night in Delhi. Held over a three-day period, the film festival was organised by the Japan Foundation in collaboration with PVR cinemas. Though this was the fifth edition of the Japanese Film Festival in India, this marked the first time since the coronavirus pandemic that it was organised in theatres. In 2020, the Japan Foundation conducted the film festival only in the online format. However, considering the reduced number of cases and the positive response that was received during the online screening held last month, it was decided that the festival would be held offline as well this year.
This plan’s execution, however, was also challenging as the Foundation initially wanted to hold the festival in several cities across India. The omicron wave of coronavirus, though, put a damper on those plans and the foundation went ahead with just a Delhi-edition of the theatrical festival. The film festival allowed viewers to book their seats online and watch the carefully selected films for free. The films that were showcased ranged from period drama films like Wife of a Spy, which is a critically acclaimed film and a winner of the Silver Lion award at the Venice International Film Festival, to animated depiction Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama.
The Japan Foundation is a body under the Government of Japan that looks to bolster cultural ties of Japan with other countries. On the sidelines of the film festival, Koji Sato, Director General, Japan Foundation New Delhi talked to financialexpress.com about the purpose of the film festival, the dominance of K-Dramas and the close cultural link of India and Japan. Edited excerpts:
The Japan Foundation aims to promote cultural relations between countries. How do you see the Japanese Film Festival achieving that goal in India?
Films are kind of universal, they attract people and stimulate the interest of people overseas. Ever since the inception of the Japan Foundation, we have placed films at the centre of our cultural programmes. Up until recently, the selection of films for our festivals used to be centred around classic masterpieces, because that is what people wanted to see again and again. The screening was also limited to some public spaces.
However, in India, nowadays, there is a huge expansion of the commercial market to consume the film-watching experiences. More and more Indian people are very outward looking, not only focusing on Indian films but also having a very strong sensor when it comes to foreign content. Responding to that growing interest, we have now created a lineup of latest, contemporary films that the audience would want to see.
There is no time gap in that sense now, because we are screening films here that are also being watched in Japan right now. So the current feelings of Japanese people can transcend to the Indian audience through media, touching upon the viewers’ mind. This can lead to the creation of synergy or a sense of compassion. That is what the Japan Foundation wants to create, because although there is no direct meeting up of people, through the media or films, we can create that sense of kinship.
There is an increase in interest among Indians about K-Dramas. Are you hoping that with such events as JFF, Japanese titles also take that kind of space?
I hope so and I am very optimistic that it is happening now. Of course, Korean boom is a global phenomenon, but it is not a competition. Japan also creates a lot of good dramas, films and anime. People in India and other countries as well need to see it, and need to be able to access it.
In order to commercialise it or to share it among more people organically, maybe some proprietary steps by institutions like ours are required. We come first and provide a good selection of content to stimulate the interest and then, some natural response from the private sector might follow.
I am very optimistic that in India, the same thing will happen for Japanese content as it did for Korean drama.
India and Japan have always had a very close cultural relationship, especially because of Buddhism. What kind of continuous steps does the Japan Foundation keep taking so that this relationship continues between the two countries?
It is a very well-known fact that India and Japan like each other and this spiritual kinship is very much present between us. In this contemporary age, although we are physically distanced, we respect each other. Japanese people respect Indian culture and people, and Indian people like the Japanese way of working and sense of collectivism. Tourism is also growing between us.
Accordingly, we like to update the real image of Japan by bringing the contemporary culture, people’s feelings and how they live their lives through many cultural initiatives, not limited to films. We keep on bringing good cultural programmes – films, theatres, music, performance, exhibitions as well as language. Nowadays, people want to read Japanese anime or manga in the original language itself.
We have a teachers’ training programme that allows a number of local teachers to learn Japanese. In this way, many people, especially the youth, can get access to Japan, helping the two countries come closer together.
What are some of the positive things, you think, that India and Japan can adopt from each other’s cultures that are tied together and yet, are vastly different?
This is the 70th year of the diplomatic relationship between India and Japan. Over this astounding time we have exchanged all forms of films, arts, performances, academics and cultural moments between our two countries. Indian films have been celebrated in Japan, Japanese anime and films continue to be popular across India. This is a testimony to the fact that the people from both countries have found many common grounds and relatability between each other’s lives and everyday experiences. We will continue to promote and celebrate this special relationship between our cultures.