Film, fun, peace and laughter

While it doesn’t get the same publicity as its fellow Japanese events in Tokyo and Osaka, the Okinawa International Movie Festival, now celebrating its tenth birthday, is an interesting cultural platform on the islands known as “the Hawaii of Japan”. 
Held every April on Japan’s southernmost island, it’s organised by Yoshimoto Kogyo, a Japanese entertainment conglomerate that specialises in comedian acts and focuses on “feel-good” films and comedies as well as mainstream movies from around the world plus those produced or filmed on the island. The festival is supported by the United Nations to help spread the messages of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to improve the quality of life of everyone on Planet Earth. 
And it’s not just about the movies – since 2015, the festival has also been a platform for comedians, singers, and shows from Japan and Asia.

 

The latest edition, which kicked on April 19 and wrapped last Sunday, saw “In Pursuit of the General”, the 3D Chinese opera film from Beijing opera win the Audience Award for foreign films, while “Reon”, a comedy about an unlucky office temp and a womanising CEO who end up swapping bodies after a traffic accident, pick up the Audience Award for Japanese films.
“The festival has gone on for 10 years, but I hope it will continue for 100 years,” said Hiroshi Osaki, chairman and chief executive of Yoshimoto Kogyo, which founded the event. 
“I hope that in the next century, a new entertainment industry from Okinawa will go out into the world.” 
The festival has from the very beginning presented films made in Okinawa, which are very different from the usual Japanese films, and recently Yoshimoto Kogyo expanded its presence in Okinawa by opening the Laugh & Peace Entertainment School on the island. The new facility will teach performance arts and creative arts to anyone who is interested. The school is open to international students who’d like to how to be a performer or a manga artist, for example.

 

Among the Also screened at the festival was Hiroshi Abe’s latest film “Nomitori Samurai”, directed by Yasuo Tsuruhashi, with the actor coming to Okinawa to walk the red carpet and present his film. Toshio Lee’s drama “When I get home, My wife always pretends to be dead” also had its world premiere and is expected to come to Thailand later this year. 
Toshiyuki Teruya’s “Born Bone Boon”, which was made in Okinawa and focuses on the bone washing ceremony unique to Aguni Island, also premiered as did “Jimami-Tofu”, a Singapor ean production entirely shot in the Okinawa Islands about a Singaporean chef in Tokyo who discovers the art of traditional Okinawan food.
The Thai animation “The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra” was originally scheduled for screening but its participation as well as that of its team members was cancelled shortly before the festival. Though no other Thai films were shown, Thailand’s Culture Minister and the Tourism Authority of Thailand brought along traditional Thai puppet troupe Joe Louis Theatre and Sweat 16, the Thai idol group, who are co-produced by Yoshimoto Thailand and LOVEiS. 

 

“This is our first time performing in Japan”, said a member of Sweat 16, who arrived in Okinawa in time to walk the red carpet and perform. 
“Okinawa is famous for the colour of the sea and even from the plane, I could see the emerald green of the ocean. It’s so beautiful,” commented an excited Suthasinee “Frame” Aemthong, obviously thrilled to be Okinawa.
“The difference between our show in Thailand and in Japan is communication,” added Warinda “Ant” Nernpermpisut, the group’s captain, “We needed to rehearse much more and work really hard before coming here to perform. 
“Our songs are based on the original Japanese melody but the lyrics are adapted so we can sing them in Thai. Here we had to sing in Japanese. And that meant we had to learn Japanese.”

 

Some members of the group – Pim Khajonvekin for one – is already a Japanese speaker, so she could help other members of the group in practising Japanese for their show in Okinawa. 
“I studied Japanese and I am happy that I can use my knowledge to help the group. It was very important that we sang the Japanese lyrics with the correct pronunciation. The lyrics are already difficult but the pronunciation is even more difficult,” Pim explained.
“The audience is so large here,” added Chadatan “‘Mahnmook” Dankul, referring to the performances, which took place on three stages across Naha city, last Friday in front of capacity crowds. 
“We are so excited to perform on the same stage as idols from Japan and many other countries. We were a little bit worried how the show would turn out, but after we arrived here and saw the stage, the Japanese audience, and our Thai fans who flew to Okinawa to support us, we knew we had to do our best. Everything must be perfect. 

 

We saw the shows by other groups and they were really great. They reminded us that we still need to improve and practise a lot to be at the same level as them.” 
Sharing the stage was the Japanese icon group NMB48, the sister group of AKB48 and all the Thai girls were impressed with their professionalism. 
“We want to perform and communicate with the audience as well as they did. Their shows made us realise that we need to work harder.”
“The audience here is so lovely and they really gave us support. Before we came here, we were not sure if we could communicate well enough with the audience, but we are very proud of the result. Our mission here is complete,” Ant added.