LA EigaFest brought Japanese cinema to Los Angeles at its third annual event at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood this weekend.
The Japan Film Society put together the three day film festival, which included films such as “Unforgiven,” as well as a film by famous animation director Hayao Miyazaki, “The Wind Rises.”
The festival kicked off on Friday night with a red carpet event followed by a traditional Taiko drum performance.
According to the EigaFest website, the event aims to broadcast Japanese cinema to American audiences, introduce and promote new talent to the community in Hollywood and strengthen ties between the American and Japanese film industries.
“Unforgiven,” which is a remake of Clint Eastwood’s film, was directed by Lee Sang-il and was Friday’s feature film.
Ken Watanabe, who gained international acclaim for his role in “The Last Samurai,” played the protagonist in “Unforgiven.”
The film portrays an ex-Samurai named Jubei (Watanabe), living in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan during the time when Japan sought to modernize itself in the later 1800s. In the film, an old friend from his military days visits Jubei to recruit him for an assassination job.
The story focuses on the journey of Jubei and company to carry out the job in a land struggling to modernize between old Japanese traditions and foreign customs.
“Unforgiven” also brings prevalence to the history of the Ainu people, who were natives of Hokkaido before the Japanese government assumed control.
Much of the action was shot on location, according to Director Lee Sang-il, and all of the historical buildings used in the film were built from scratch.
Watanabe said “the film was difficult to shoot, and at one point the film had to stop production for three days due to the heavy snow.”
After the Q-and-A session, the event kicked off an after party right outside the Egyptian Theatre, complete with Japanese food and drinks.
The refreshments at the after party paralleled those in the film. The wood box cups used to serve sake were similar to the cups used in the film, and guests were offered Japanese food and snacks, including Pocky, a chocolate-coated biscuit stick.
A number of attendees were involved in the film industry, which made the event a networking opportunity for both American and Japanese film makers alike.
The EigaFest plans to return to the Egyptian theatre next year.