Japanese Film "HIKARI (RADIANCE)" Nominated at Cannes Film Festival
The French international film festival in Cannes nominated a Japanese film to contend for the Palme d'Or amid a round of applause, May 23.
The film, "HIKARI (RADIANCE) " by Director Naomi Kawase, is the story of a female voice guide artist for a movie intended for the visually impaired and a male cameraman gradually losing his eyesight. The story progresses as both communicate through work, appealing the meaning of being able to see and of being seen.
The film is nominated for competition for the grand prix Palme d'Or at one of the world's three major film festivals in Cannes and was officially viewed on May 23. Director Kawase, the actor Masatoshi Nagase, etc. walked the red carpet into the hall and received a big applause from the audience after the viewing.
Prior to the viewing Director Kawase told NHK in an interview:
"All of us think we know what we see but do not really know what we actually see. We believe it important to sit down and ask ourselves what we see, contemplate, and gaze into what we actually see."
The Cannes Film Festival closes on May 28 and awards the Palme d'Or on the final day.
The Cannes Film Festival dates back to 1932. The Palme d'Or was created in 1955 to replace the Grand Prix du Festival given until that year. Among the known films awarded the Grand Prix du Festival include "La symphonie pastorale"(France), "Roma citta aperta" (Italy), "The Third Man" (UK), and "Jigokumon" (Japan). The US film "Friendly Persuasion" won the Palme d'Or in 1957 and the Japanese films "Kagemusha" of Akira Kurosawa and "Narayamabushiko" of Shohei Imamura in 1980 and 1983, respectively. (Nathan Shiga)
