Sheffield International Documentary Festival (SIDF)
Favourite moments?
I loved Sheffield which I visited last weekend for the first time with Sean and the film he made about me called JAPAN A STORY OF LOVE AND HATE. I found the people very friendly. Sheffield reminded me of my town called Yamagata where the film is set. But Yamagata is a little smaller.
best memory?
I met 2 Japanese people at the festival, they came from Tokyo. there was a documentary film maker and another man from Yamagata festival. It was funny he never knew of my film, set in yamagata. It says a lot about the Japanese, they don’t know what is going on. it was funny the yamagata festival man said we should have the premiere of the film. I said but ‘you didn’t even know of the film!!’ and the festival (held every 2 years is only happening next year) then on the train from Sheffield I met a young Spanish girl who recognised me. She loved the film, she had a newspaper which had sean and my picture on the front cover, she said ‘it is you!’, I was surprised.
Best comment?
The best comment I got from the audience was a strange question asking me what sign of the zodiac I was. I couldn’t understand the question. I said I was born 1951…. Something
Sean just told me to say my birthday. It was a good suggestion. I hope people can survive the recession coming here using the zodiac. England still has days of plenty but for how long I wonder?
Are you happy with the results of the film?
I just showed our true life. I open our life in front of sean’s camera. Sean is not propaganda of poverty, he just filmed our life. he didn’t didn’t take refuge in our poverty world, he just filmed our life.
People need the truth not logic. People need actuality. Sean’s film and our life have made this harmony as a good result.
NAOKI TALKS ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE FILM.
What was your first impression of Sean?
The first day I was waiting for sean at train station with yoshie but he did not get off train. He had got off at the wrong station. I thought he was a dope, like me.
What did you expect the film to be?
UN should make recommendation for his film for his peace keeping powers!! he brought to my relationship with yoshie and gave me the strength to go see her father, this has helped my relationship now, we are far happier. Before sean came and began filming I had refused to see her father because we are the same age and it is a ‘shame’ problem in japan. I realised this was a problem for yoshie through sean’s film and I decided to meet her father, now we are best friend s and I go most weekends.
What was your worst memory?
After sean met me, he changed his mind and left back to Tokyo looking for another film, he was still searching in his mind and needed to look more he told me later. For me it was very difficult because I realised he began filming with someone else but after that failed almost one year later we reunited and he came back to film me. It was then we made the film.
Anything you dislike about the film?
The film sometimes makes me into a ‘star’, this was never an intention to be ‘movie star’. This is bad, it is about showing the life for many people in japan and telling a story not many people know about. I was shocked to be treated like a star at the Sheffield festival, so many people wanting to talk with me and shake my hands. Why?
What about yoshie?
Yoshie could not know the meaning of ‘premiere’ at Sheffield doc fest. She had to work, her boss could not give her days off work. she could never see or feel the spotlight like me sadly because she could not get holidays off work.
Does she like the film?
She likes the film and being filmed.
Is the film good for yoshie?
Maybe. But she is afraid of being fired from the daytime job office when the film is on tv in japan.
Is the film good for naoki?
I am happy now, it is good. If post office fire me I must go to court and show film. We can make a sequel. Sean has to film this.
What next for naoki and yoshie?
No change unless I get fired!!
Did the film change your relationship for better or worse?
Absolutely better. I gained a big ‘extended’ family!!!
Tell me how you have changed or how yoshie has changed?
Look at sean’s film. At first we did mind being filmed.. but after a year we got used to it, we lived out our lives naturally in front of sean’s camera. we made no pretence to be good or bad
If we tried pretending we would tire ourselves, it would be impossible.. sean’s persistence won!!
Like a natto bean he eats in the film, he is ‘sticky’..
Why did you choose to be in the film?
Before I sent a lot of mail to sean, emails about my life, my wives, my politics. I would takes hours writing them on my hand phone because we have no computer or internet in our rabbit house. After 3 or 4months sean told me enough of politics I want to know your individual opinion and personal life. so I confess every everything about being divorced 3 times and I have girlfriend who half age of mine.
It was when sean said he didn’t just want my political past but wanted my individual opinions and personal situation that I decided to be in the film. It would be a way of showing the world the ‘truth’ of the life I was living, I guessed many people did not know.
I was also very moved that sean decided to come to japan after reading my mails so we made the film successfully..
