ryuganji: film news from japan

Now that the first instalment in the trilogy is out of the blocks, it has been revealed that 23-year-old relative nobody and Horipro talent Kinami Haruka has been cast as high school girl and reluctant resistance operative Koizumi Kyoko. One of the saga’s less well-rounded and more annoying sub-characters, Koizumi nevertheless plays a crucial role at certain points in the latter half of the story as well as adding some ditzy comic relief, and was introduced to audiences with a brief unheralded appearance at the end of the first film. Iza has pics here, and on this scant evidence she at least seems to have the character’s gormless hysteria downpat. Kinami’s only other film role so far was as chainsaw fodder in “Seven Rooms”, Adachi Masaki’s contribution to the omnibus film “Zoo”.

Singer-songwriter Cocco has been a reliable source of theme songs for numerous movies including Anno Hideaki’s “Shiki-Jitsu”, Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s “Kairo” (Pulse), Tsukamoto Shinya’s “Vital” and Yukisada Isao’s “Toku no Sora ni Kieta” (Into the Faraway Sky). Now she’s getting a film of her own, directed by no less than Kore-eda Hirokazu who has returned to his documentary roots to make “Daijobu de aru yo ni - Cocco: Owaranai Tabi”.

The project came about through the Okinawan leg of the worldwide “Live Earth” concert project in July of last year, where Kore-eda became inspired by Cocco’s performance of her song “Jugon no Mieru Oka” about two dugong that appeared in the waters off the site of a planned U.S. naval base. Here’s a clip of that performance from YouTube:

Kore-eda subsequently linked up with Cocco from last November in Nagoya for the start of her “Kira Kira Live Tour,” which celebrated the passage of 10 years since her debut. The documentary also closely follows her life on her home ground of Okinawa, and delves into her concern for environmental issues.

Klockworx will be giving the doco a roadshow release, beginning with Cinema Rise in Shibuya this December. (source: Variety Japan)

Journeyman director Takita Yojiro’s “Okuribito” (Departures) has continued the winning tradition of Japanese films at the World Film Festival Montreal by picking up this year’s Grand prix des Americas. Previously, Sato Junya and Duan Ji-Shun’s “The Go Masters” (Mikan no Taikyoku) received the top prize in 1983 and Okuda Eiji’s “A Long Walk” (Nagai Sanpo) won in 2006. (source: Iza)

Also, “Bayside Shakedown” writer Kimizuka Ryoichi’s “Dare mo Mamotte Kurenai” (Nobody to Watch Over Me, previously covered here) starring Sato Koichi and Shida Mirai split the Best Screenplay award with Spanish film “Welcome to Farewell-Gutmann.”

Details are still sketchy, but this morning 18-year-old actor Yagira Yuya was admitted to hospital after swallowing a bunch of pills and suffering an acute drug overdose in an apparent suicide attempt. Fortunately he seems to be OK and is conscious. News reports have been reading heavily into an entry in his official blog dated August 16th where he thanked fans for their loyalty despite his absence from the media since the release of the Tsutsumi Yukihiko-directed film “Bandage Club” last September, and explained that he’s been in “poor health” for the past year.

Yagira is best known for winning the Best Actor award as a 14-year-old at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Nobody Knows,” and for not being able to receive the trophy in person due to his school exams taking priority (poor bugger). He subsequently headlined such films as “Shining Boy and Little Randy” and “Sugar and Spice,” and also lent his voice to the first “Genius Party” anime omnibus. Then there were the TV commercials he appeared in with his screen mum from “Nobody Knows,” You, which feel a bit creepy in the context of that movie:

Update: a TV news item that simply covers all the info mentioned above.

Let’s hope he manages to pull through.

UK-based readers might want to consider the World Movies TV channel (site not active yet) on Sky TV channel 331, which screens its fair share of Japanese content. Thanks to Logboy for letting me know.