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War shrine film must be shown in Tokyo: director
2008-04-04
The Chinese director of a controversial documentary on a Tokyo war shrine on Friday called for his film to be shown in the Japanese capital after pressure from nationalists caused it be pulled. Li Ying, the 45-year-old director of "Yasukuni," said he welcomed the decision made by several regional cinemas to show the film, but that it should be showcased in Tokyo, as originally intended. The documentary, which received a grant from Japan's government, looks at the controversy surrounding the Yasukuni shrine, which honours 2.5 million war dead -- including convicted war criminals from World War II. "The Yasukuni shrine is in Tokyo. All the contradictions, all the conflicts it involves are in Tokyo, which is why the film has to be shown in the capital. The heart of all historical, religious, political problems is in Tokyo," Li said. One cinema in western Osaka and two cinema operators in Kyoto and Hiroshima on Thursday said they would show the film, defying pressure from nationalists. The shrine has become a rallying point for Japan's far right, while in much of Asia it is seen as a symbol of the country's past militarism. The documentary, originally due to premiere on April 12, was pulled after noisy protests by nationalists, who say it contains anti-Japanese elements. But Li said he was puzzled that cinema operators in Tokyo had decided to pull the film, adding he had been to visit every cinema four months ago to discuss possible threats and pressures involved in screening it. "I don't really understand that because we discussed all of this before, and even liaised with the police. So what is really behind all of this?" The media and government have raised concerns about freedom of expression after the film was pulled. A number of Japanese lawmakers requested a private advance viewing of the film, which critics said amounted to censorship. Li said media organisations, as well as the Japanese Association of Film Directors and writers' guilds, all supported his efforts to screen "Yasukuni" in Tokyo. The film won the best documentary award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in March.
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