The 2009edition of the international film festival in Locarno had a strongemphasis on films from Asia this year. The festival was the first to offer abroad retrospective on the world of manga, from its earlieststeps to the latest productions. Manga enthusiasts had the choice betweensequences shot for television, full feature films, or segments devoted to greatmasters of the medium. Locarno had clearly taken a risk by staging such athorough retrospective as these films, even though they represent a relevantsegment of the international film industry, that are not necessarilyblockbuster crowd-pleasers. It was, nevertheless, a rewarding decision forLocarno, all the more as it precedes an unprecedented Japanese animéretrospective that takes place in Turin at the Museo Nazionale del Cinema untilJanuary 2010.
As in previous editions, the Open Doors section focused oncountries from Asia, this year with particular attention to greater China,including Taiwan, Hong-Kong, and Macau. Most films offered a sharp contrast toearlier productions from that area that tended to present and glorify theirpast history. The younger directors were concerned to portray their countrythrough the lives of common people, depicting in most cases a harsh political,social, and environmental reality. Most poignant was the film Petition:The Court of the Complainants that followed the faith of people inChina who had to reinvent their lives following overt wrongdoings from thegovernment. Many examples presented in this documentary show how a regionalcourt has come to an absurd conclusion, depriving the civil party of a fairruling or of financial compensation these people depend upon and deserve inorder to go on living. With no possible recourse on a regional level, thesepeople have no other choice than to revert to the Petitions Office in Beijingthat supposedly deals with such issues. The documentary shows how thousands ofpeople go to Beijing, convinced to get a new – and this time fair – ruling.What of course nobody knows before going to Beijing is that the Petitions officeis simply a formal set up, a masquerade that indeed allows people to stand inline, describing the government’s wrongdoings to an official before beingdismissed and sent back to the street. Director Liang Zhao has been followingsome of these people since 1996, finding a way to take his camera inside thePetitions office, which is of course strictly forbidden. Liang Zhao’s examplesare not isolated cases, but as their lives have been torn apart, and they havenothing else to loose, they are the only ones who dare to speak up, andquestion the local, regional, and national government’s legitimacy.
As with several documentaries in the Open Doors section,one needs to praise the courage, and persistence of these directors who haveopted for a documentary revealing blunt and telling situations in their countryinstead of crowd-pleasing feature movies. In the same register, one shouldmention Yan Mo (Before the Flood), a documentary tracingthe events in Fengzhie, a town on the border of the Yangtze River, on the vergeof being sacrificed for the sake of the building of the Three Gorgeshydroelectric dam. As documented by director Yan Yu, this 2,300 year-old cityand its 123,000 citizens are bound to disappear. Again, we witness how peopleare forced to accept a relocation that for many of them has led to poverty, asthe ones with little or no means or connections were not compensatedfinancially, and saw their lives and family business shattered.
Another telling documentary was Timber Gang,addressing the environmental issue China has to face. Following a group oflumberjacks in the province of Heilongjiang, director Yu Guangyi shows how theconstant deforestation, even on a seasonal basis, but without replantingany trees, has led these lumberjacks to be out of work as there are no moretrees available for wood production. The film also depicts how China can stillrely on a large workforce that in many cases has to work in a rather primitivefashion, relying on the minimum of machines. These men spend several months inan isolated cabin with their horses used as means of transportation for thetimber. Therefore, it is not uncommon that in a single winter, half a dozenhorses are lost because of excessive work, or untreated diseases.
On a more political level, Yasukuni byChinese director Li Ying reveals the questionable raison d’êtreof the Yasukuni shrine that includes in its register of souls all Japanese warheroes as well as convicted war criminals. The fact that the former PrimeMinister has paid his respect to the shrine has been the source of politicaltensions. In an interview, Li Ying insisted on the fact that it would be asabsurd as to have a shrine in Germany bringing together soldiers from World WarII side by side with Hitler and member of his government. Yasukuni has alsobecome an issue within the Japanese population and other Asian countries whosesoldiers were forced to go to war under the Japanese flag. Presently, numerousfamilies of these soldiers have requested to have their relatives’ name removedfrom the shrine. So far, their request has remained unanswered.
Also worth mentioning was the film Tehran BedouneMoja Vez in the section Ici et Ailleurs thatfollowed director Sepideh Farsi, now based in France, back to Tehran, talkingto people about relevant issues on politics, the economy, and their life ingeneral. The documentary shot in a very straightforward manner as it was shotwith the director’s cell phone, immerses the viewer into daily life in Tehran.
Amongst the 18 films featured in the internationalcompetition, there were two from Japan, one from China, one cooperation withIran, and one from Malaysia. The Search from Tibetandirector Pema Tseden shot in Tibet with rather simple means was quitesuccessful, describing a film crew searching for actors to revive a traditionalTibetan opera. The film emphasises that in the case of Tibet, certain pillarsof its culture – like this famous opera – are still passed on from generationto generation despite the Chinese occupation and efforts to suppress Tibetanculture.
Masahiro Kobayashi (Japan), who had won the Golden Leopardin 2007, returned to Locarno this year with Wakaranai, a moviefollowing the life of teenager Ryo. Supporting his ill mother, Ryo is facingthe challenge of having to find a job in order to pay his mother’s increasinghospital bills. With no family member to turn to (his mother is divorced) thesituation escalates as his mother passes away, and Ryo has to settle thehospital bills and pay for a funeral. Although he is only sixteen, Ryo has tolive with the worries and difficulties of the world of the adults, an enormousburden for a teenager. Even the status of being a rich country like Japan doesnot guarantee an efficient social welfare system, leaving some individuals –here like Ryo – in a desperate situation.
The winner of this year’s film festival was She,a Chinese film by Xialu Guo that followed the life of leading character Mei,who is somehow disillusioned by her present life in a little village withChongqing as the closest city. Striking in this film, as in other productionsfeatured in the festival, is the fact that although the countryside hasbenefited from the economic development, it nevertheless still remains farbehind the wealth that can be seen in major cities, on national televisionprogrammes or in magazines. Willing to improve her life, Mei moves away fromher village, dating a young mafia killer. As he comes back one night severelyinjured, and dying, Mei discovers a huge amount of money hidden under hismattress. She takes the money and travels to London, abandoning her travelgroup to stay in the British capital.
After marrying an elderly widower who is ultimately not asnice as he first appeared to be, she takes refuge at the home of an Indianrestaurant owner who, once their relationship has intensified, suddenly decidesto return to his country. Mei ends up on her own, pregnant, without any job orincome. The young woman nevertheless continues to look forward, well decidedand confident to make a better life for herself and her yet unborn child. Aswith most Asian feature films, the stories remained very realistic, indirectlyunderlining that in life, faith, the environment, and luck play an importantrole. With that in mind, our existence is mainly about handling as well aspossible these constantly evolving circumstances.
Magnificent on the over-sized outdoor screen of the PiazzaGrande was the film chosen for the closing of the festival TheTwo Horses of Genghis Khan. Shot by Mongolian director ByambasurenDavaa, the film features breathtaking images from her native Mongolia. Contraryto TheSearch, where traditional operas or songs were still stronglypresent in the minds of young and old generations, Mongolia seems definitely tobe facing a loss of culture, with ancient famous pieces forgotten. Traditional singer Urna is attempting to reconstruct an old song, a promise shehad made her grandmother on her deathbed. To her surprise, she makes noprogress while travelling through Mongolia, leading her to wonder whether everyprogress has to be balanced by the loss of older traditions. Although the storywas simple, the film was a delight to watch – enhanced by the fact that Urnaperformed live on stage after the screening.
This year’s festival also marked the last year that thefestival was under the leadership of Frédérique Maire, who has been courageousin making choices to promote the cause of film while remaining true toLocarno’s identity.
OLIVIA SAND