Pink film veteran Zeze Takahisa championed original storytelling at a packed masterclass during the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Tokyo Talk program, days after his film Sukiyaki opened the 39th edition of the festival on October 26.
Zeze Takahisa at TIFF (Credits: Variety)
Zeze Takahisa Masterclass: From Pink Films to Festival Opener
Held before a full-house crowd at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, the talk focused on Zeze’s early career in “pink” (softcore) and indie films, then opened up to his more recent work. Born in 1960 in Oita Prefecture, he joined a pink film production company in 1986, made his directorial debut with “Extracurricular Activity: Rape” in 1989 — winning the Pink Grand Prix for Best New Director — and was hailed as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Pink” alongside Sano Kazuhiro, Sato Toshiki and Sato Hisayasu.
Few careers illustrate the long tail of Japan’s film industry like his: from pink films to disturbing crime, thriller and horror cinema, he has aged into an elder statesman whose work now opens the country’s biggest festival.
Sukiyaki: The Song Behind the Opening Film
Sukiyaki, a music biopic recounting the story behind Kyu Sakamoto’s Billboard-topping 1963 song “Ue o Muite Arukō,” received its world premiere at TIFF. Stars Junichi Okada (as composer Hachidai Nakamura), Tori Matsuzaka and Nana Seino walked the rain-soaked red carpet with the director.
Zeze described the film’s founding idea as rooted in post-war Japan: “Through this film, I hope this festival, too, can become a festival of peace,” he said. The 39th TIFF runs October 26 through November 4 with 204 films from 112 countries.
Also Read: Tokyo Opener ‘Sukiyaki’ Director Zeze Takahisa on the Protest Roots of a Global Japanese Pop Hit | Diamond Diplomacy: Yuriko Gamo Romer’s Baseball Doc Makes International Debut at TIFF
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
