Ogawa Shinsuke and Filipina
This is a film undertaken by Ogawa Shinsuke about Filipina brides living in the village of Okura in Yamagata Prefecture. While the film was suspended midway due to Ogawa’s death, the version used for test screening, Hijiori Story, will be an opening film at YIDFF 2005 in memory of Ogawa. Made in the Philippines, To Fukuoka with Love, also featuring Filipina women who moved to Japan, was awarded Special Mention at the YIDFF ’99 New Asian Currents Program, and will also be shown this year.
YIDFF Opening Screening
Hijiori Story
(“Hijiori monogatari”)
JAPAN / 1992 / Japanese / Color / 16mm / 18 min
Director: Ogawa Shinsuke
Photography: Kato Takanobu
Editing: Ogawa Shinsuke, Tamura Masaki, Tsuchimoto Noriaki
Sound Editor: Asanuma Yukikazu
Location Sound: Kuribayashi Masashi
Producer: Fuseya Hiroo
Line Producers: Shiraishi Yoko, Abe Hiroko
Cast, In cooperation with: Mori Shigeya
Source: Shiraishi Yoko
Ogawa Shinsuke was exploring the creation of a new documentary film that would focus on Filipina brides in Okura village, Yamagata Prefecture. Endeavoring to train his novice staff from the ground up as well as test his skill as a cinematographer, Ogawa filmed the landscape of Hijiori Hot Springs. He was planning to start full-scale filming, but was unable to because his health showed no sign of improvement. This is a film of raw footage roughly edited and completed by Tsuchimoto Noriaki for screening at the “Farewell Service to Ogawa Shinsuke” held at the Athénée Français Cultural Center after Ogawa passed away. It should be noted that this film is not a “finished work.”
Made in the Philippines, To Fukuoka with Love
Mula Pabrika Hanggang Fukuoka
THE PHILIPPINES / 1999 / Filipino, Japanese, English / Color / Video / 84 min
Director, Photography, Sound: Ditsi Carolino, Sadhana Buxani
Script, Producer: Ditsi Carolino
Editing: Nonoy Dadivas, Ditsi Carolino
Music: Ronnie Quesada
Production Company: DocuPro
Source: Yamagata Documentary Film Library
This documentary is about Filipina workers. Elsa works long hours in a garments sweatshop, spends the night on the picket line and barely squeezes family time in between. In Fukuoka, three Filipinas give new meaning to the term “Japayuki.” Emily, Marlene and Kay are among those women, some married to Japanese men, who disclose their stories as entertainers in the nightlife district of Fukuoka.