"SAVE THE STUDIO !"
To all the people around the globe who have grown to love Japanese cinema, and to all our respected peers in the movie-making industry - it is with a heavy heart that we bring you news of the present crisis the Japanese film industry is now facing.
In December of last year, one of Japan's leading film companies since the start of Japanese cinema, Shochiku Co.,Ltd. decided to sell the legendary Ofuna Studio near the historic Kamakura area on the outskirts of Tokyo, this June.
The Shochiku Studio, which has long been called
home to such world famous directors as Yasujiro Ozu, Mikio Naruse
and Nagisa Oshima for the past 63 years, is even to this day,considered
the "Holy Mecca" of Japanese cinema. Numerous Shochiku's
classic films were photographed on these lots, and the studio
itself served as the training ground and launch pad for the
careers of many of Japan's top filmmakers - Keisuke Kinoshita,
Masaki Kobayashi, Yoji Yamada, Kaneto Shindo, Masahiro Shinoda -
the list is endless. For lovers and fans of Japan's rich cinema
history, it is extremely difficult to talk about Japanese film
without mention of the Ofuna Studios.
The Ofuna Strudio, like any other major film studio in the world,
is the essential foundation for a very large community of
professionals who essentially love the cinema,and whose endless
efforts behind the scenes create just as much magic on the movie
screen as the legendary stars themselves.
Even so, the management of Shochiku passed a
devastating reduction policy which reduced the Ofuna Studio to
half its original size, leaving only 100 or so workers left, who
given these circumstances, continue to create high-quality movies
to the best of their abilities. In this age where we movie-makers
face increasing needs to upgrade and update our filmmaking
facilities, the current management policy of worker reduction,and
now the elimination of the studio itself,constitutes a serious
threat and challenge to the entire film industry and the history
of Japanese cinema itself.
Japanese cinema has long been the singular art form of Japan that
has broken down cultural barriers and enabled us to reach out to
audiences and movielovers worldwide. It is with this will and
strong desire to protect and restore this moviemaking tradition
that we have formed"The Congress to support and co-operate
with the fight for Shochiku Ofuna Studio" .
Our group consists of many Japanese filmmakers and friends who wish to protect the legacy of Ofuna Studio and its workers. Cinema lovers, filmmakers, workers and friends - please join in our fight to save Japanese Cinema.
January 20, 2000
For infomation contact Ei-en Soren
The Congress to support
and co-operate
with the fight for Shochiku Ofuna Studio
Copyright (C) 2000- Ei-en Soren, Rights Reserved