Himizu (film)
Encyclopedia
is 2011 Japanese drama film based on a manga
of the same name by Minoru Furuya
. Himizu is directed by director Sion Sono
, whose works includes films like Cold Fish
(2010) and Guilty of Romance
(2011).
The film competed in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
in September. At the festival, Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor and Actress for their work in the film.
stuck Japan on March 11, 2011. After this disaster, he decided to rewrite the script to adapt the film to this disaster.
Additional cast members of the film was announced on 2 September 2011. These cast members were Yosuke Kubozuka, Yuriko Yoshitaka
, Anne Suzuki
and singer Takahiro Nishijima. Actress Yoshitaka previously starred in the 2006 film Noriko's Dinner Table
, which was also directed by Sion Sono. Nishijima is from the music group AAA
, and also previously starred in Sion Sono's 2009 award-winning film Love Exposure
.
during May 2011.
criticized the film as being "fraught with brutal violence and needless repetition that draws out its two-hour running time" and added that the film "is still not an easy film to like". However, the reviewer praised the ending of the film, which she describes as "achingly real" and "extraordinarily intense and effective". She also praised the film's young leads Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaidou, whom she said "grow in stature as the film progresses".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
of the same name by Minoru Furuya
Minoru Furuya
is a Japanese manga artist . His debut work was Ike! Inachū takkyū-bu, known in English as Ping-Pong Club, published in Young Magazine. In 1996, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for Ping-Pong Club.- Biography :...
. Himizu is directed by director Sion Sono
Sion Sono
is a controversial Japanese filmmaker and poet. He was born in Toyokawa, Aichi, Japan, and is best known for his films as well as avant-garde poetry performances.-Early career:...
, whose works includes films like Cold Fish
Cold Fish
is a 2010 Japanese serial killer film directed by Sion Sono. The film is about a quiet and unambitious owner of a tropical fish shop who's life and family are taken over by a fellow fish entrepreneur who happens to be a serial killer...
(2010) and Guilty of Romance
Guilty of Romance
is an upcoming 2011 Japanese film directed by Sion Sono.-External links:* at Twitch Film* at Variety...
(2011).
The film competed in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
68th Venice International Film Festival
The 68th annual Venice Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, took place from 31 August to 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on 4 September,...
in September. At the festival, Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor and Actress for their work in the film.
Cast
- Shota Sometani
- Fumi Nikaido
- Megumi Kagurazaka
- Asuka Kurosawa
- Denden
- Mitsuru Fukikoshi
- Tetsu Watanabe
- Makiko Watanabe
- Ken Mitsuishi
Development
The director Sion Sono had already written the film's script when the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
stuck Japan on March 11, 2011. After this disaster, he decided to rewrite the script to adapt the film to this disaster.
Casting
The lead stars of the film were officially announced on June 10, 2011. The lead actor for the film is Shota Sometani, who plays the role of Sumida, a 14 year old teenager who suffers from the violence that his father inflicted onto him. Actress Fumi Nikaido will be his co-star, and she will star as Chazawa, a rich girl who is Sumida's classmate.Additional cast members of the film was announced on 2 September 2011. These cast members were Yosuke Kubozuka, Yuriko Yoshitaka
Yuriko Yoshitaka
is a Japanese actress who is represented by the Japanese agency Amuse.-Career:Yoshitaka made her acting debut in 2006. She was given the lead role in the live-action adaptation of Hitomi Kanehara's award-winning novel Snakes and Earrings in 2007...
, Anne Suzuki
Anne Suzuki
is a Japanese actress.A model since the age of three, she got an early break in her acting career at 12 when she starred in the Hollywood film Snow Falling on Cedars with Ethan Hawke. She was next featured in the action movie Returner opposite Takeshi Kaneshiro, and won the Best New Actor at the...
and singer Takahiro Nishijima. Actress Yoshitaka previously starred in the 2006 film Noriko's Dinner Table
Noriko's Dinner Table
, is the sequel to the cult film Suicide Club , a Japanese film, written and directed by Sion Sono, concerning a mass suicide of 54 schoolgirls and how it leads the law to a shadowy cult...
, which was also directed by Sion Sono. Nishijima is from the music group AAA
AAA (band)
, and also known as Attack All Around, is a Japanese pop band signed to the label Avex Trax which debuted in September 2005. The group originally consisted of five young men and three young women who had all acted in commercials and had been dancers for other Japanese stars, such as Ayumi Hamasaki...
, and also previously starred in Sion Sono's 2009 award-winning film Love Exposure
Love Exposure
is a 2008 Japanese film written and directed by Sion Sono. The film gained a considerable amount of notoriety in film festivals around the world for its four-hour duration and themes including love, family, lust, religion and the art of upskirt photography. The first version was originally six...
.
Filming
Most of the filming for the film took place at a special set in Ibaraki PrefectureIbaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
during May 2011.
Critical Reception
Deborah Young of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
criticized the film as being "fraught with brutal violence and needless repetition that draws out its two-hour running time" and added that the film "is still not an easy film to like". However, the reviewer praised the ending of the film, which she describes as "achingly real" and "extraordinarily intense and effective". She also praised the film's young leads Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaidou, whom she said "grow in stature as the film progresses".
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 68th Venice International Film Festival 68th Venice International Film Festival The 68th annual Venice Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, took place from 31 August to 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on 4 September,... |
Marcello Mastroianni Award | Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaidou |