Symposium: “Asian Sense of Comedy”
Discussion on the Necessity of Laughter
from the Viewpoint of International Cineastes

Panelists included Soonie Taraporevala, film director of “Little Zizou” from India, Alex Chung, producer of the Chinese film “Winter Vacation” from Switzerland and film critic Kyoichiro Murayama.

This year we have many comedy films including those that weren’t intended to be comedies. To Festival Director Hariki’s question of “how to use laughs, which can be a normal weapon as well as a lethal weapon”, Sooni Taraporevala explained: “We, Zoroaster followers, are a group of people who love to laugh. For example in the film, we shot a real existing person as a villain and made fun of the person. I think you can ask people to think deeper about a problem that way.” “Little Zizou”, which played at cinema complexes in Bombay for eight weeks in a row, has definitely caught on with the youth stratum.

Alex Chung who spent his childhood in Taiwan and now lives in Switzerland noted that “Winter Vacation”, where the dealings between the grandfather and grandson are striking, is a film that wasn’t intended to be a comedy. However, he is satisfied about the film being accepted as one. In a quiet tone of voice Alex Chung explained that, “Asians unlike the West show their laughs while going through personal suffering. That’s why it’s important to take a look at your inner self. We’d like our films to give the audience an opportunity to think about their lives and ways of life.”

Mr. Murayama touched on the changes in laughing films by analyzing Japanese films. “Comedy” he said, “was originally made for the domestic Japanese market. I doubt if anyone dislikes the “Tora-san” series. It’s interesting though because although these films were also popular in England thereby pointing to the universality of laughter, there’s a bit of disparity within culture such as differences in the points of laughter slipping out of place. I think, however, that the future will require more diversity.”

Cultural differences, comparison of the city to agricultural villages and social roles… While discussing the allure of laughter on one hand, other topics were addressed such as times during the Pacific War, positions taken by the media, Chinese censorship and development, and the essence of the notion that trends in modern times of using laughs to periodically “alleviate pressure” is unhealthy and are signs of danger. Enthusiastic film fans also expressed their opinion as about 40 people listened carefully until the end of the symposium.

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Interviewing Guests of the Film Festival
“Taipei Exchanges” (Taiwan) Hsiao Ya-Chuan, Film Director

“With improvisation, I had her act freely’’”

Film director Hsiao Ya-Chuan apparently wanted to be a painter while he was a Fine Arts student at his university. In 1987, Chiang Kai-shek’s son died. Thereafter, demonstrations ensued against the Nationalist Party. Hsiao Ya-Chuan captured these demonstrations on video and this had the effect of stirring an interest in light satire and social events, which ultimately led him to the world of film. The executive producer of this film is Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Hsiao Ya-Chuan’s connections to Hou Hsiao-Hsien go back to when Hou Hsiao-Hsien released a record as a singer. At that time, Hsiao Ya-Chuan was placed in charge of shooting the promotional video for the record. “I’m definitely influenced by Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s filming technique of first completing all preparations for shooting and then allowing the performers to act freely” says Hsiao Ya-Chuan who adds that “Zaikai Lin who plays the sister in the film is the type to add improvisation to her acting and this interested me to select her for the role. Her acting had the effect of adding pep to the film.” Hsiao Ya- Chuan continues: “I wanted to bring energy back into Taiwanese films, which appears to have lost momentum so I unfolded a light story with a theme of psychological value that people could be comfortable with.” The café was made especially for the film, but now, the film company manages it.

Hsiao Ya-Chuan got along fine with Festival Director Hariki out of a common interest in the works of film director Tarkovsky. “Hou Hsiao-Hsien has told me to keep making films, but Festival Director Hariki, you do look great!” said Hsiao Ya-Chuan. Might this be an offer to appear in his film? We can’t wait to see his next film.

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Interviewing Guests of the Film Festival
“Little Zizou” (India) Sooni Taraporevala, Film Director

“This is a refined taste in style different from everyday slapstick comedy”

What strikes Sooni Taraporevala, who hails from Bombay, is her large eyes and gentle smile. “Little Zizou”, her debut film as a feature film director, played eight straight weeks in the theater and was a big success. Festival Director Hariki described the film as “fashionable, made in a style of refined taste, which is different from the everyday slapstick comedy we see.”

The film depicts a Parsi (a member of the Persian Zoroaster) community. Parsis we hear have a higher awareness and are more devoted to education and the arts than other ethnic minorities. Festival Director Hariki was extremely surprised to hear that the late Freddie Mercury who used to sing for the group “Queen” was a Parsi.

Soonie Taraporevala became a photographer after graduating from Harvard University when she wrote the script for “Salaam Bombay”, which become a big hit. “ I just happened to become a scriptwriter”, she says. To this day she has written original screenplays, adaptations, historical biographies and comedies but apparently she loves comedy the most. “Little Zizou” she said, “has a theme close to me. I wrote the script thinking of the actors who would play in the film, so it was a motion picture only I could make.” She smiled and said, “the visuals and sound in this theater are fabulous and I’m totally satisfied!” We hear she is planning a bit of an eccentric science-fiction film for her next feature.

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Interviewing Guests of the Film Festival
“Autumn” (India) Aamir Bashir, Film Director

“An impacting film, that draws you in with its visual beauty and symmetrical reality”

When Aamir Bashir explained the situation in Kashmir to the audience prior to the exhibition of the film, a sudden air of tension hit the crowd. India and Pakistan have been in conflict with each other since 1948 and Kashmir sits along the border area between the two countries. In the film, the mind of a youth who lives alongside with fear is spelled into the beautiful visual imagery of the region.

The beautiful nature of the Kashmir region is symmetrical to explosions and violent acts, which surface in town. People are in distress after losing their families. ”We shot the film only in Kashmir so you could say it’s a documentary” says Aamir Bashir. Filming was conducted by negotiating with the government and the local residents. The protest scene at the “Family Association” of victims was actually filmed at such an organization. The visual development overflows with presence. When the film exhibition was over, the crowd seemed unable to speak for some time after seeing the shocking last scene. A heated Question and Answer period lasted for a long time with much exchange in opinion after Aamir Bashir remarked that, “It was necessary to make this film because we see no end to the conflict. I want to let as many people as possible know that this is real life in the area.”

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Interviewing Guests of the Film Festival
“Chassis” (Philippines) Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., Film Director

“A precise frame that leads to a shocking last scene”

The motion picture, set in a harbor and depicting the tragedy of Nora, a wife who has a container truck driver for a husband, is based on a true story. The motion picture was completed after the film director went to the scene of the story to gather detailed information on the course of events. In the beginning, the motion picture was shot in color. In the midst of the shooting, however, it was switched to black and white so as to bring more focus to the emotions of the protagonist.

Says Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr.: “White signifying reaching out for hope and black, illlustrating despair. In such a setting, Nora, the protagonist, has a gray colored existence. Without exception every frame has some shot of a metallic nature, such as that of a truck, and this was done to symbolize Nora. At first she is calm and cool, but like steel, which changes its form when heated, she erupts like a volcano in the end.”

A well-known actress in the Filipino television industry plays the protagonist. On her acting, which is so real that it seems she is playing her real self, Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr. explains: “The story may be simple but the protagonist is required to show a diversity of emotional undulation. We needed an actress gifted enough to be able to accomplish this. She is an intellectual. Trusting me, she went along and acted out the role.” Festival Director Hariki remarked that he “felt a high sense of beauty and power throughout the film and that without such power, you can’t react to tragedy”. Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr. responded: “I don’t believe in happy endings, either. To me, you keep on with your life even if something sad happens.” It was a meaningful frank and informal discussion on what goes on behind the scenes in film production.

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Interviewing Guests of the Film Festival
“Claypot Curry Killers” (Malaysia) Mandy Chen, Leading Actress

“Actually, it hasn’t been released in Malaysia yet”

Mandy Chen, who plays the second daughter in the film, invited laughter from the audience when she said, “Thank you so much for seeing this film so close to lunch time.” Quite contrary to the role she played, Mandy Chen showed a bright, charming smile. To men in the audience who said, “the three sisters in the film all looked so beautiful”, Mandy Chen responded in Japanese by saying, “You make me blush but thank you.”

With splatter, dismembering of dead people and other extreme scenes in the film, the motion picture did not pass the censors in Malaysia, known for its tough restrictions. As a result it has yet to be released in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, Mandy Chen is said to have seen the exhibition of the film for the very first time at this festival! Another male viewer in the audience commented: “It was a frightening distorted film but I felt the motion picture just ended with some black humor. I guess showing it in an Islamic country is sort of difficult.” To this Mandy Chen replied: “We submitted various versions such as having the family in the film receive legal punishment, redoing the punch line so that everything in the story was imagination and cutting the scenes with extreme visual expression, but they didn’t give us the permission to exhibit the motion picture. I’ll be happy to see the film get exhibited, though.” She added playfully that, “these things in the film never happen in life, so please come and visit Malaysia.”

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