Amami Film: In Memory of Miho-san
(“Amami film—Miho san tsuito”)
JAPAN / 2008 / Japanese, English / Color / Video / 13 min
Director, Photography, Editing: Yoshimasu Gozo
English Narration: Marilya Corbot
Production Company, World Sales: Osiris Co., Ltd.
This work mourns the death of Shimao Miho, a writer and the director’s friend since 1982. In this last episode of the gozoCiné series, Yoshimasu travels by sea from Kagoshima to Amami Oshima and Kakeroma Island, to seek out impressions of color and smell that might reveal what he calls the “thorns of light” Miho has left behind. He incorporates the murmurs of Alexander Sokurov from dolce . . . , his film about Miho and her writer husband. The poet’s own energetic words reverberate, setting membranes aflutter and extracting madness, beauty, and awe.
[Director’s Statement] This work was woven with love for Shimao Miho (Shimao Toshio’s wife), who sadly passed away in March 2007, and their beloved daughter Maya, who preceded her in death. It is less a “film” than a loving memorial, or more exactly, a “love letter” that could finally be written to Miho, after her death. The best way to express it might be . . . love letter Ciné. Without considering at all whether such a form is possible, or allowed, I resolved to imprint the color of my thoughts and voice on the film. With the completion of this “work,” I was able to publish the unprecedented book KI-SE-KI in February 2009. Tsuda Shingo, who contributed his wonderful prose to Amami Film also died, on July 25, 2009. . . . Both Shimao Miho and Tsuda Shingo were children of the sea, souls of the island. . . . From the bottom of my heart I say “thank you” to everyone at YIDFF for deciding to show this film, in what amounts to a memorial to this summer of 2009, Miho’s summer, the summer of the islands, and to the audiences that grace Amami Film with their presence.
| Yoshimasu Gozo
Please see his biography as juror for the International Competition. |