From February 17 to March 2, film lovers in Lima will have the privilege of immersing themselves in the richness and diversity of contemporary Japanese cinema at the first edition of the Japanese Film Festival. Organized by the Japan Foundation and in collaboration with the Al Este International Film Festival, this unique event promises to captivate audiences with a carefully curated selection of films representative of the vibrant industry japanese cinema.
The festival will present a wide range of genres, from moving dramas to captivating animation, offering a window into Japanese culture and society through the lens of cinema. The screenings will take place in various places in Lima, allowing the public to immerse themselves in the Japanese film experience in different cultural spaces in the city. Hiroyuki Ueno, director of the Japan Lima Foundation, spoke with us about this proposal.
Intolerance. Film directed by Keisuke Yoshida. Photo: diffusion
What do you think is the importance of Japanese culture in Peru?
Japan and Peru have 150 years of diplomatic relationship. Peru is one of the countries with which Japan first interacted when it opened its doors in the mid-19th century. Additionally, we have a 125-year history of Japanese immigration here in Peru. So, from this long history, some elements of Japanese culture have already been established here. For example, gastronomy, which has even given rise to some fusion such as Nikkei food. Even so, I think there is still a lot of dissemination of the current japanese culture. In the last century many Japanese immigrants came, but these days we don't have many exchanges. So, I think we want to present more of today's Japan to Peruvians.
Weathering with you. From filmmaker Makoto Shinkai. Photo: diffusion
I think it is a great success to do it through cinema, since it is an accessible medium. Furthermore, Japan has a very rich cinema.
Yes, that is exactly so. Japan has a rich history of movies. We have the japanese cinema better known as Ozu, Yasujiro, Kurosawa, and many other great old masters, but these days there are also many very interesting films. For this reason, we are going to bring here fourteen modern films of various genres: dramas, comedies, young cinema and suspense, which can bring us closer to the daily life of the Japanese. Although they are all fiction, they capture the culture, how people feel, how they are active, how they feel, how they cry or laugh in their daily lives.
Drive my car. By Ryūsuke Hamaguchi. Photo: diffusion
Of course. Tell me, what is this cycle going to be like? What would you encourage the Peruvian public to watch in this cycle, to pay attention to?
I think it is important to take advantage of an opportunity like this because in the city of Lima there are not many opportunities to see Japanese films. I've been here for almost two years, but I haven't had many opportunities to see Japanese cinema, either at Cineplanet or at film festivals like the one we're going to do. I remember watching shows with only one or two movies and nothing else. But here, at this moment, they could be closer to our films. It's a good opportunity, I think, for them to watch varieties of movies, not just anime, but other genres as well.
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