"The story of 3 ports" Official Website

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This is an international co-production film by 3 film academies from 3 countries such as Beijing Film Academy, Korean Academy of Film Arts and Japan Academy of Moving Images. It is 100mins-feature film that I have never heard of the students co-production feature film by 3 countries. 　Friendships, developed in Yokohama Student Film Festival The project is based on the annual Yokohama Student Film Festival, which has held in Yokohama. We have discussed for several years if the students from 3 regular participating academies could make a collaboration film together. It could have been just a fanciful idea at the beginning, but we could materialize the plan by knowing that Yokohama city would have like to support our memorial film because 2009 is the year of Yokohama Port Opening 150th Anniversary. Beijing Film Academy which has produced great film makers such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, might be the biggest national film academy in the world. Korean Academy of Film Arts which has an extremely elitism, is under the national film committee and is one of the motive powers of the generation change in Korean film industry because of the complete elitism. Needless to say, Japan Academy of Moving Images is good enough to both academies. The only condition which was given from Yokohama city as a sponsor was a theme of the film should have been ‘Port’. After having some meetings among 3 academies, we had decided that Japan made a short drama which was shot at Yokohama, China was at Qingdao, and Korea was at Incheon and made them be an omnibus long film. For Japanese version, we offered a story from public. For Chinese and Korean ones, we asked selected students as directors to write scenarios as they like. Actually, the graduates who were worthy of note for their graduation works, became scriptwriters and directors for the films which could be their first film after the graduations. The students became staffs to support their making films and the professors directed the whole as producers. 　The young men from 3 countries communicate through making films What kind of film can we make by this way? We had no idea at the beginning but we also betted on unknown possibilities. The young men from 3 East Asian countries where have had complicated and serious histories for many years but could have good friendships recently, show their hearts and arts by the way of making film since they might have equal abilities. This challenge should excite you. How messages or spirits are exchanged each other?
		Tadao　Sato (Chair Cooperation of Japan,China and Korea・Yokohama Port Opening 150th Anniversary Film Production Committee）
		Principal of Japan Academy of Moving Images/ Movie Critic Born October 6,1930. He has published film critics on magazines such as 'Kinema Shunpo' 'Science of thought' since 1950. Also, he has published more than 100 books on film, theatre play, literature, mass culture, education etc. 《Awards》 Kinema Shunpo Award (1957)／Yamaji Fumiko Film Cultural Award(1986)／Mainichi Publication Cultural Award 'History of Japanese Film'(1995)／Art Selection Award by Minister of Education 'History of Japanese Film' (1996)／Medal of Honor (Purple Ribbon) by Government of Japan／Forth Class Orders of the Rising Sun (2002)／Medal of Honor of Korean Culture／Medal of Honor of French Culture

	The first story, ‘Fish & Bird’ from Beijing Film Academy is a story about an old man who lives in fishing village near Qingdao, and his son and grandson. It draws his love for the ocean, the dissatisfaction at his son and the wife who will move to Qingdao, and his love for his grandson lyrically. At the last scene, when the old man is in a critical situation, a hero figure which is made in Japan suddenly shows as an amazing way. The wit of this scene is interesting and shows us how deep Japanese popular culture penetrates into China.
	The second one, ‘Deaffish and Moon’ from Korean Academy of Film Arts is a grievous drama. It is about a woman who has carried on a raw fish shop at Incheon Port while she has been taking care of her brother with an aftereffect of a disease. The direction and acting with a legitimate realism which draws a severe dairy life, is splendid as a professional work. After the brother’s death, she let fish which have been in the fish preserve, go as a service for his departed soul. The dead brother leaves to the moon while jumping for joy on the sea. Regardless of a sudden change of a whole script, the completion is admirable. Even though the story itself has no relation with Japan or China, it faces to a severe life and leaves indescribable warmth of love to us.
	The third one is ‘Pier’ which was shot in Yokohama, Japan. The story is about an old man who has been writing a word 'Rensen Rensho (never been defeated)' for visiting people who believe his words make them happy. A young journalist tries to find the real intention. Director Watanabe had rewritten an original script for 20 times and made it as a real antiwar drama. It draws a self-criticism of the man as a former teacher who had sent his students to a battlefield. It is an impressive film which is written with a severe and serious expression. I’m sure that any Japanese staffs had never imaged if Chinese ones had used a Japanese hero figure with their affection in the story. As a result, it has finished with an exchange of interesting and important messages between Japanese and Chinese works. It is an unexpected result of a student co-production film of 3 East Asian countries but we also might expect that some dynamics would affect on morals which had both of a sympathy and hesitation. Only Korean version seems to have no relation with it, but it has accomplished their own way that shows the Korean originality.
The whole of the film has a part of a port. Do 3 films have anything in common with? There is an unexpected something. The one thing is that the students try to look at the realities of their countries seriously. The other thing is that the stories are seemed to be gloomy but each director incorporates some expressions of hinting hopes in the plans. Also each way of drawing the ocean is very impressive. Japan, China and Korea are neighbors by connecting each other with the ocean and there are unexpectedly common human emotions through the whole. Any of stories has never talked about the histories or prosperities of the ports. One of the parts of a port is being a place to exchange different cultures and build relationships. It means this film itself becomes a part like a port where students from 3 countries can get together. They would not have a spree like sailors have used to do. Instead of that, they are prudent and wealthy in thinking of others. I believe how a port should be.