japanese
Kamei Fumio Retrospective [PR and Educational Films]

Penmanship

(“Shoho”)
- 1960 / B&W / 16mm / 18 min

Director, Producer: Inui Takeo
Script, Calligraphy: Inui Sumi
Editing: Kamei Fumio
Production Company, Source: Japan Document Film

Human beings are said to have started using the calligraphy brush more than 4000 years ago. Outstanding examples of calligraphy that can be found in ancient texts are the result of the writer’s understanding of the natural rules of hand motion and the essential qualities of the calligraphy brush. That method is “penmanship.” The film was made as a guide for people learning brush calligraphy and also as a reference material for people who have achieved some degree of expertise. It was used in schools as an educational resource for teaching Japanese children.


• Kamei Fumio Retrospective [Pre-War Works] Hiking Song | Shape without Shape | An Introduction to Radio: The Audience | School Broadcasting | The Geology of Fuji | Airspace [Pre-War Documentary Films] Shanghai | Peking | Fighting Soldiers | Kobayashi Issa [Post-War Documentary Films] A Japanese Tragedy | Children of the Base | The People of Sunagawa | Wheat Will Never Fall | Still It’s Good to Live | Record of Blood: Sunagawa | The World Is Terrified: The Reality of the “Ash of Death” | Living in a Rough Sea | Fluttering Pigeons | Voice of Hiroshima | Men Are All Brothers | Towards a World without Arms | All Must Live: People, Insects and Birds | All Living Things Are Friends—Lullabies of Birds, Insects and Fish [Feature Films] War and Peace | A Woman’s Life | Become a Mother, Become a Woman | Woman Walking Alone on the Earth [PR and Educational Films] Poem of Life | Invitation to Japanese Architecture | Penmanship | Quiet Construction Methods | Living with Ideas: A Profile of Sharp | Let’s Weave a Rainbow | Hong Kong, Taipei | Norihei Travel Manners | The Southern Cross Is Calling | Wishing for Tomorrow’s Happiness [Other Works] Underwear Makes the Woman | The Models and the Photographer | Kamei on Kamei: A Record of Yesterday’s Film Production Discussion Group | Human Conceit: The World of Director Kamei Fumio