Japanese filmmakers persist with historic film

by Kathryn Marmon

from examiner.com

Japanese volunteers filming “TOKYO Ainu” are still in production but a promotional short can be viewed on YouTube.The short documentary opens with scenes in Shiba Park, the site of the Hokkaido Aboriginal Training School where 38 Ainu were taken by force in 1872 from their homes in Hokkaido. The adjustment was great, and impossible for five souls who were unable to make the changes necessary to save their lives.

The Tokyo population is about 42 million. Among them, living undiscovered until recently, are about 5,000 Ainu. They have left Hokkaido, not all together willingly, but out of necessity to find jobs, acquire education and to avoid discrimination.

“We wanted to go back, but couldn’t afford to,” said one man in the film, who is not named.

Still, Ainu who moved to Tokyo found they were still the object of discrimination. Some became afraid to admit to their Ainu heritage. Despite opposition, even from close friends who tell them to give up, the Ainu people are persistent in their campaign to be recognized as an indigenous people. Some are beginning to believe they have made progress and are grateful to elders who set out on this quest for freedom. Young Ainu are anxious to learn about Ainu ways of living, preparing their food, and about their music, in order to become self-reliant.

The promotional documentary shows footage completed as recently as July 2008.

Yoshiko Kayano, “TOKYO Ainu” Film Production Committee member, recently agreed to an interview.

EX: Can you tell me about your progress? Has the film already been

released?

YK: When the shooting of the film started in the spring of 2007, the focus was on an Ainu elder Haruzo Urakawa, who had been single-handedly building an Ainu cultural facility, and the tentative title was "Haruzo, an Ainu." As the shooting progressed, the film's focus was changed to include the whole Ainu community in Greater Tokyo and the title was also changed to "TOKYO Ainu." As a result, the completion of the film has been delayed. Now we hope to complete it by the spring 2010. One big problem we are facing is the financial one, because the production of the film has been financed only by supporters' purchase of cooperation vouchers and donations.

EX: Are they happy with the film, so far?

YK: They still need to shoot several more scenes and people and then start to edit them. So far, only the promotional footage was completed, but we all expect that this film is going to be a very important one.

EX: What further projects does the production company have planned?

YK: Not necessarily about the Ainu. This is not a production company. When an Ainu elderly woman made a passionate plea: "Please make an Ainu movie for us. Please document our voices for the future generation," the production committee was

established and found a director Hiroshi Moriya (a former TV director / now a freelance film director and a vegetable farmer). The committee consists of five members who all work volunteer for this film. The committee was established to make this film and currently don’t have any concrete plan to make another film, but we all hope to find a way to keep these filmed interview records as an archive and make available so that the following generations of the Ainu can learn from them.

EX: What is the name of the production company and do they have a website?

YK: The name of the committee is "TOKYO Ainu" Documentary Film Committee. The website in English is:

http://www.2kamuymintara.com/film/eng/top.htm

We hope many people will visit this website and learn about this film project, and give what they can.

Hiroshi Moriya: Director, Editor, Film

Produced by: “TOKYO Ainu” Film Production Committee