Suzaku (film)
| Suzaku | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Naomi Kawase |
| Screenplay by | Naomi Kawase |
| Produced by | Takenori Sentō Kōji Kobayashi Yasushi Tsuge |
| Starring | Jun Kunimura Machiko Ono |
| Cinematography | Masaki Tamura |
| Edited by | Shūichi Kakesu |
| Music by | Masamichi Shigeno |
Production companies | |
Release date | 1 November 1997 |
Running time | 95 min |
| Country |  Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Suzaku (萌の朱雀, Moe no Suzaku) is a Japanese fiction film from 1997 directed by Naomi Kawase.[1]
Plot
Set in the mountainous Nishiyoshino region of Nara Prefecture, the film sketches the dissolution of a family suffering from the economic decline of their village. A vital railroad project was to have been constructed, employing the father of the family, but it was cancelled.
Cast
- Jun Kunimura as Kōzō Tahara
- Machiko Ono as Michiru
- Kōtarō Shibata
- Yasuyo Kamimura
- Sachiko Izumi
Production
Suzaku was the 35mm film debut of Kawase, who was known for her independently produced films in 8mm.[2] A reference to her previous career can be seen in Suzaku through the 8mm film projected at the end. The only professional actor in the production was Jun Kunimura, although this became the debut of Machiko Ono, who later went on to a successful acting career.
Reception
Suzaku was selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and won the Caméra d'Or (best new film) at the Festival.[3] It also won the FIPRESCI Award at the 1997 International Film Festival Rotterdam.[4] Machiko Ono won the best actress award at the Singapore Film Festival for her role.[5]
Novelization
Kawase herself wrote a novelization of the film under the same title.[6]
References
- ^ "Moe no suzaku". Japanese Cinema Database. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ^ McDonald, Keiko I. (2006). Reading a Japanese Film: Cinema in Context. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2939-1.
- ^ "Awards 1997". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ^ "FIPRESCI Award". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ^ "'Kānēshon' no hiroin ni Ono Machiko-san ga kettei!". Kishiwada e yōkoso. Kishiwada City. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ "Moe no suzaku". WorldCat. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
