HOME TOWN—me & the Kobe Earthquake
(“Boku wa Kobe umare de shinsai o shiranai”)
2005 / Japanese / Color / Video / 89 min
Director: Motoki Takashi
Photography: Fujioka Motoshi, Motoki Takashi
Editing, Narrative Structure, Production Assistant: Fujioka Motoshi
Music: Taniguchi Yumi
Source: Motoki Takashi, Fujioka Motoshi
The Kobe-born director was living in Osaka when the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck in 1995 devastating his hometown. In 2003, he returns after receiving a call from a high school friend, and comes face to face with the earthquake’s legacy by filming present day Kobe. A frank depiction of the director’s struggle with his inner self as he carries his camera through the city.
[Director’s Statement] The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred on January 17, 1995, right after I moved out of Kobe, the city where I was born. For nearly ten years I kept averting my eyes from the damaged city. This film started as an excuse for that fact. However, it was only completed the moment I realized that nothing is as meaningless as making an excuse. I would like to thank my friends and the people of Nagata, Kobe. They had no need of my excuses or repentance.
Motoki Takashi
Born 1973 in Kobe, Motoki Takashi entered Osaka University of Arts in 1993. He directed several independent films, and after the release of When Slackers Dream of the Moon (2001), he made his commercial debut with P-Kan★Couple (2005). Mainly active in fiction films. |