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War shrine film opens in Tokyo amid tight security
2008-05-03
A controversial film about a Japanese shrine that honours the nation's war dead opened on Saturday in Tokyo amid tight security, defying threats from nationalists outraged at its content. The film was screened as police patrolled the entrance of the cinema and were even posted inside auditoriums after threats that protesters would disrupt the event. 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. Critics of the film said it stokes anti-Japanese feelings by, for example, superimposing images of emperor Hirohito with atrocities committed by Japanese troops. "We have been able to screen the film safely and smoothly. The audience entered in an orderly manner and there were no disruption as every room is completely guarded by police," said Yutaka Okada, president of Argo Pictures. The film will be screened eight times every day for a week both in Japanese and with subtitles. Movie-goers lined up at the ticket booth two hours before the first show, and every screening for the day was sold out. "To screen the movie involved quite a bit of risk taking," said Yukito Ishimaru, a lawyer who was representing the theatre and attended the opening. The Yasukuni 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, by Chinese director Li Ying, was originally due to premiere last month but was pulled after noisy protests. A number of Japanese lawmakers requested a private advance viewing of the film, which critics said amounted to censorship. "It was interesting, and was filmed quite objectively," said 44-year old Junichi Iitaka movie-goer afterwards. "I don't think it is an anti-Japanese movie. I would like Japanese media to make documentaries like this. There were scenes that were quite forceful," he added. Another said the film, simply called "Yasukuni", was a valuable lesson. "For the first time I was able to understand Yasukuni shrine," said 62-year old Midori Matsuoka. "Even for those like myself born the year Japan was defeated (in 1945), we never really knew anything about the Yasukuni. I think the film is anti-war and cinemas should not pull it," she added. The film won the best documentary award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in March.
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