On May 13, 2015, the Shanghai International Film Festival announced that the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival would jointly launch a “Retrospective of Ken Takakura”, which would be held in Shanghai and Tokyo, in memory of Ken Takakura, a famous Japanese actor who passed away last year.
Five classic films starring Ken TakaKura -- Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare, Poppoya, the Yellow Handkerchief, a Distant Cry from Spring and Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home -- will be screened in Shanghai in June 2015 first. Ken Takakura had long been hoping that Poppoya could be shown in China. Soon, this unfulfilled wish of Ken Takakura will come true at last. It will be shown as the opening film at the “Retrospective of Ken Takakura”.
Then in October 2015, the film screening activity will be continued at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival. The Shanghai International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival have signed a cooperation memorandum on their comprehensive cooperation and mutual recommendations in the novice recommendation, competition and selection, film screening, guest invitation, etc. The joint Retrospective of Ken Takakura will serve as the prelude to the cooperation between the two major A-class international film festivals in Asia.
Screening Poppoya in China makes Ken Takakura’s unfulfilled wish come true
Most people’s impression of Ken Takakura is a man with a resolute face, two stand-up collars and cold eyes. In the 1970s and 1980s, as the film Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare was frequently shown in China, “Fuyuhito Morioka” acted by Ken Takakura became an idol for an entire generation of Chinese youth. The other films starring him such as the Yellow Handkerchief, a Distant Cry from Spring and Poppoya are well known by Chinese film fans. The veteran Japanese actor Ken Takakura died of a disease in November 2014. However, the impression of “Fuyuhito Morioka” acted by him permanently remains in people’s memories.
Ken Takakura always incisively and vividly acted silent and strong-willed Japanese men with tender passion such as “Fuyuhito Morioka” well known by Chinese audience, “Kosaku Tajimu” who cared very much for Tamiko Kazami acted by Ken Takakura in a Distant Cry from Spring, the coal miner “Yusaku” who “helped her for he loved her” acted by Ken Takakura in the Yellow Handkerchief, and the aggressive man “Shinichi Tsukibana” with piercing eyes acted by Ken Takakura in Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home… Ken Takakura believed that Poppoya is more significant to himself and he had always been hoping to bring the film to Chinese audience.
Professor of Tokai University of Japan Senei Yo recalled Ken Takakura’s past and said: “Ken Takakura told me that his father had worked as a coal mining technician in Northeast China, he began to think about doing some things to comfort his father when I was at the current age. So when he signed a contract for starring in Poppoya, he proposed a precondition that the public showing licence for screening it in China should belong to him after the film shooting was finished. Then he wanted to offer it to China.
Poppoya will be showed for the first time in China as the opening film of the “Retrospective of Ken Takakura” at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June and the unfulfilled wish of Ken Takakura will come true.
Shanghai and Tokyo join hands to recall Ken Takakura’s film career
The news of Ken Takakura’s death triggered Chinese audience’s infinite memory of him and caused them to recall his past. When the Shanghai International Film Festival prepared for the “Retrospective of Ken Takakura”, the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. (including Shochiku Film Company, Toei Corporation, Kadokawa Pictures and Toho Company Ltd. under it) and the Tokyo International Film Festival offered their helps to the Shanghai International Film Festival. It is disclosed that several film festivals have contacted the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. to hold a retrospective of Ken Takakura and the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. has chosen the Shanghai International Film Festival. Naotaka Katyo of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. said: “Ken Takakura had always been promoting the friendly relationship between China and Japan when he was alive. He had starred in Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles -- a film directed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou. He is an old friend of Chinese people. Therefore, we chose the Shanghai International Film Festival to make the retrospective more significant.”
Under the promotion of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc., the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival will hold the retrospective in the two cities -- Shanghai and Tokyo. Yasushi Shiina, head of the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the principals of the four major Japanese film companies will attend the opening ceremony of the retrospective in June, and the retrospective will be continued by the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, in memory of and recalling Ken Takakura’s film career. Besides, the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival will carry out their comprehensive cooperation and mutual recommendations in the novice recommendation, competition and selection, film screening, guest invitation, etc.
The Organizing Committee of the Shanghai International film Festival has expressed that the Chinese film industry and the Japanese film industry both have a long history. They both have film masters who enjoy high reputation in the world. Asian filmmakers must join hands to let their excellent works and excellent talents have a broader platform and let them influence the world.