Eiga Sai 2008 - opening night (Japan Film Festival)

We shall overcome Someday (2004)

Last night was the opening night for the 2008 Eiga Sai or the Japan Film Festival, the event and screening was held in Cineplex cinema 3 of Shangri La Plaza Mall. The event opened at 5:00pm and was crowded by japanese and vip guest, while having our cocktails we listen to some cool japanese music and themes being played during the opening night and after our short chit chat with Alma and the rest of the Juujiro Japanese Culture Organization, the emcee announced that it was time for everyone to come upstairs and watch the movie.

Inside the theater, we observed the Philippine National Anthem and it was followed by the Japan National Anthem, which at first I thought I'll be hearing a vocal version of it, but we heard the symphony version, (im not familiar on the vocal version ,but I love to hear it).

Its been 4 years that I haven't watched again another Eiga Sai event, and my last attendance was in year 2004, I just can't remember when I started to watch the film festival, but I remember I was there in UP Film Center to watch the theatrical screening of Ghost in the Shell and after a year I watched all Akira Kurosawa movies and that includes the Hidden Fortress.

other movies I like way back are Sonatine, some classic animation, Kids Return, water boys, twilight samurai, Juvenile, Give it all, A scene at the sea, there are some old blog entries here during the year 2003 and some bad story here when I failed to watch another movie.

more photos, videos and story below after the link

Inside the cinema we hear the opening remarks of Ms. Danila Fojas,EVP and general manager of Shangri La Corp. she told us about the year when Eiga Sai started and thus noted that the Shangri La mall is the home of the Eiga Sai event, and I agree to that, and didn't know that the event is already 10 years old, and hmmm i think I was there during the 1st years, when the time were internet is not that big.

then an opening remark from Minister Hidenobu Sobashima, Consul General of the Embassy of Japan, there he told us about the importance of the event which commemorates the Philippines and Japan friendship, and also a cultural exchange for us pinoys, Minister Hidenobu is a nice and I always amuse on his notes and his Filipino speaking accent. And then an introduction by Mr. Tsutomu Suzuki, Director of The Japan Foundation Manila, he relates to us the feature film that will be shown and he said that the movie theme for this year is all about the youth, friends and family and we were surprise that he added the movie Doraemon for their animated feature for the film festival, he also share to us that the featured movie of the night entitled - We shall over come someday ( Pacchigi) is an extra ordinary film about the relationship that revolves on the 60's of the japanese and korean youths. He warned us that the film is very graphic content with violence and mature actions, but through out the movie it is all about one's struggle for love, nationalism and power.

The movie We shall overcome Someday (2004) is a very graphic, but the story will take you to understand the reason during the old times why Japanese and Koreans live in one place and the status balance is never been fixed by the upper class and makes them very upset whenever they crossed their paths, its a very touching story and the one that interest me is that they are being united by a song that had change their lives. The song Imjin River is the main key of the movie, thus also the movie theme of it, you'll know why the song is very important on some koreans, just watch the movie and you'll know why. And it surprises that the main female lead is the young Erika Sawariji as a korean Lee Kyung-Ja.



here is the trailer of the movie - Pacchigi

for the Eiga sai 2008 film schedule visit http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_schedule.htm

more photos at Eiga Sai 2008 - opening night (Japan Film Festival) @ Shangri La Cineplex