Saturday, November 12, 2005

DIFF pays tribute to Japanese Film industry, commences with a bang!

REPORT FROM DENVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DAILIES: The world of Japanese cinema is not all Manga, weird horror trips, or cartoonish samurai epics. Fortunately this far-away industry provides a veritable treasure trove of old and new directors to follow, covering much ground that is both contemporary and traditional. To recognize this country's achievements and longevity in the film arena, DIFF chose this year to honor the Japanese industry with twelve films focusing on cinema from this great land. The first reception for the festival outside of opening night (and my first real hangover I'm currently suffering through) directly followed the Japanese tribute kickoff with the screening of Yoji Yamada's "Hidden Blade," a fine rendering of deep samurai issues.

No stranger to things Japanese, The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver played host to the reception and this progressive institution in downtown's Sakura square proved to be the perfect location for the event. Guests were treated at the door not with typical festival shwag as one might expect, but to a gift of a complimentary pair of the popular "croc" footwear, or at least the chance to call up for a free pair. My wife's jubilation at this wonderful gift meant I could make her stick around longer than I expected after a 10:30 pm starting time not to mention the previous evening's marathon of jubilation at the Caulkins Opera House and festival opening after-party.

As this evening's reception was thrown in honor of Japanese guests, plenty of sake flowed along with delectable Japanese food. The real stage was set with the arrival of prolific director Ryuichi Hiroki, a man who looks much hipper in person than his portrait in the film guide suggests. He was accompanied by his interpreter, as well as the super-cute starlet Nozomi Ando from one of his latest films "L'Amant," which was screening offsite concurrently with the reception. A bevy of other Japanese guests and a great mix of film directors and city patrons awash in the glow of the museum's projectors made for a resounding atmosphere and good time. I had the fortune of bumping into + gallery artist Christopher Romero, who arrived in town earlier that day to screen his short film "Patch" in the program "Meeting Strangers." Romero was coming off his 10th festival with the short, and was obviously well tuned to the lifestyle. Annie Bradley, whom we'd dined with the previous night for opening festivities and another director accompanying a featured short was having a good time and complimented the museum on being such a "cool" space. Young Czech director Filip Renc went even further, proclaiming that Denver was the greatest city he's yet visited!

Though many of the directors and their contingents are largely unknown outside of the festival circuit or their respective homes, they truly made the evening vibrant through their enthusiasm and joy at being here. Add in some creative dash by the festival staff, one of whom made the already clever video installations at the museum take on even greater meaning, and you got an evening that truly set the tone for a glorious ten-day pageant teeming with sensory overload and fun. - Ivar Zeile