Los Angeles, CA - March 1, 2018 - “Filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda doesn’t underestimate the power of observation,” headlined Japan Times correspondent Kaori Shoji.
Last week, world-renowned documentarian known for his “observational” style of filmmaking, Kazuhiro Soda, held the second-ever prestigious nomination for the 2018 Berlinale Glasshütte Original Documentary Award for his silent black and white observational film in the Forum section, ‘INLAND SEA’ (“MINATOMACHI”), a beautiful and heartwarming documentation of a local fisherman, Wai-Chan, and the other elderly inhabitants in the ancient Japanese fishing village of Ushimado, capturing its rapid cultural decline due to Japan’s post-war era of modernization.
Japan Times correspondent Kaori Shoji was fortunate enough to chat with Soda during the Berlinale film festival, where the two discussed Soda’s passionate transition from Tokyo to New York for film, and how Soda now brings his revolutionary style of “observational” filmmaking back to his hometown of Japan.
“I looked around and saw of a sea of young Japanese, all wearing the same black suits. There were 2,000 of us in one huge room, inside a large corporate building. As far as I knew, none of us had been instructed about what to wear and yet everyone turned up in the same ‘recruit suit,’ including myself,” wrote Shoji, citing Soda and his decision that “the corporate life” wasn’t for him, but instead, he wanted to make films.
After research into Japan’s film world during the early ‘90s, Soda discovered several obstacles that would interfere with pursuing his dream of filmmaking in Japan until Soda’s “eureka moment” when he read a magazine article interviewing Jim Jarmusch, an independent filmmaker who was an alumnus of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
Photo: Kazuhiro Soda.
It was 1993, and Soda was only 22 years old when he packed his suitcases to enroll at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where he the abundant amount of diversity made him instantly feel welcome.
“It was then that I knew I could make it here — this was a city full of people from all sorts of places, and no one was obliged to follow any rules,” Soda recalls, noted Shoji.
Four years later, Soda’s documentary filmmaking career took flight with his first short film and graduation project, “The Flicker”, to the Venice International Film Festival, beginning relationships in the international film world, including meeting James Ivory, the critically acclaimed screenplay writer for Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’.
Shortly after, Soda worked on over 40 Japanese television titles that involved detailed scripts, tight schedules, and plans in advance until he realized that, “In the process, I was ignoring the truth of what was happening right before my eyes” – the very orderly and strict mindset he obtained in Japan.
Influenced by Frederick Wiseman, whom Soda dubbed as “the teacher closest to my heart”, decided he wanted a loosely structured production process where he maintains control and to create his own “indie” documentary, using his own method of filmmaking he calls “observation”.
Soda’s “observation” films have become celebrated worldwide, as they adhere to his unique film style of following his “Ten Commandments”. Soda explained, “There is no pre-research or scripting. I concentrate on watching and listening to the reality in front of me, and to capture that on camera. For me, this process goes beyond moviemaking. It’s a life choice that’s also a philosophical exercise.”
Despite his decision to become a “New Yorker”, Soda admires several Japanese filmmakers and their work, even with mention to Director Yasujiro Ozu, whose work is known for strict discipline and structure. As well, when Shoji prompted what he misses most about Japan, Soda responded, “Apart from my wife, my entire family is in Japan so I miss seeing them. Also, the landscape, food and onsen (hot springs).”
“Soda returned to Japan to make a film about mental health, but wound up following the political campaign of Kazuhiko Yamauchi, an old classmate then running for a council seat in a Tokyo suburb,” wrote Shoji, which became his first feature documentary, ‘CAMPAIGN’ (2007, Observational Film #1) and was awarded the Peabody Award in the U.S.
Since, Soda has traveled back to Japan, releasing one or two documentaries a year. He has received several nominations and awards, including ‘PEACE’ (2010, Observational Film Extra), which was the opening film of DMZ Documentary Festival, won the Best Documentary Award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Tokyo Filmex, and now, holds the prestigious nomination from 68th Berlinale’s second-ever year to award one great documentarian with the Glasshüttte Original Documentary Award.
Besides his nomination at the 2018 Berlinale, Soda also world-premiered his second documentary, ‘THE BIG HOUSE’ (2018, U.S., 119 minutes, Observational Film #8) for Berlin Critics’ Week.
“Soda says, [‘THE BIG HOUSE’] was born out of a desire to observe ‘the problems of race, class and nationalism in Trump’s America, and really observe what was happening,’” wrote Shoji.
‘INLAND SEA’ will open in Japan during April, reported Shoji.
Soda’s words to live by: “Keep your desires small and know when you’ve had enough.”
For March 2018, ‘INLAND SEA’ will compete in Asia’s oldest and most reputable platforms for filmmakers, the 2018 Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) from March 19th to April 5th, 2018, as well as the 40th “Cinéma du Réel” International Film Festival in Paris from March 23rd to April 1st 2018.
Produced by Kiyoko Kashiwagi, ‘INLAND SEA’ was represented at 2018 Berlinale by TriCoast’s new art house label spearheaded by Daisy Hamilton, ROCK SALT RELEASING, alongside Dean Fernando, as well as TriCoast Worldwide CEOs, Strathford Hamilton and Marcy Levitas Hamilton. Soda.
For more information about ‘INLAND SEA’, please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6869686/.
Special thanks to: Atsuko Saito & Kaori Shoji.
INLAND SEA (2018, 122 min.) Directed by Kazuhiro Soda. Editor: Kazuhiro Soda. Cinematographer: Kazuhiro Soda. Original Music: Kazuhiro Soda. Japan/USA. Silent. Laboratory X, TriCoast Worldwide, Rock Salt Releasing.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Laboratory X – Kiyoko Kashiwagi, Kazuhiro Soda.
ROCK SALT RELEASING: Daisy Hamilton and Dean Fernando.
About TriCoast Worldwide:
TriCoast Worldwide is a premium international sales agent, representing the best of US and international films at all the major film markets. Sister company to TriCoast Entertainment and TriCoast Studios, the company is located at the Studio facility in Culver City, Los Angeles. Founded by: Strathford Hamilton and Marcy Levitas Hamilton.
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