Review of 'Film Screening: Your Name with Producer Genki Kawamura'

http://www.jpf.org.uk/whatson.archived.php#1034

I am a big fan of film director Makoto Shinkai and one of his latest works “Your Name” (see here for review). When the opportunity came with The Japanese Foundation to see the film and hear a talk by the producer Genki Kawamura I simply could not resist.

Kawamura gave a brief introduction before the film then went out for something to eat before returning a bit late after the film concluded (leaving the presenters a bit at a loss while waiting for him to return). He was in the UK to promote his book “If Cats Disappeared from the World” at the Cheltenham Festival the day following our event.

Kawamura is a legend in the Japanese Anime industry in having a reputation that anything he touches seems to do well and the experience with “Your Name” is no exception. When talking, via an interpreter (though he occasionally talked in English to the full house), of his working relationship with Shinkai, himself, of course, a legend having brought us the amazing The Garden of Words as well as his seminal works “5 Centimeters per Second”, “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” and “Voices of a Distant Star”, Kawamura said that Shinkai came up with the ideas while Kawamura made them happen on the screen. Kawamura suggested he had a flair for promoting these films while Shinkai has little interest in this.

Kawamura briefly touched on some of his more recent works including the short “DUALITY” which was shown at Cannes and as producer of the child-like Mirai which he is quite proud of. After prompting by one of the presenters, Kawamura confirmed he was working with J.J. Abrams on a live action version of “Your Name” which caused a few in the audience to gasp.

Throughout his talk Kawamura was quiet and gave a lot of thought to his responses though often showed a mischievous side in his responses which made this a fun, interesting and very insightful evening despite the obvious translation lag involved.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2018-10-03

Location: London (England)

Address: 7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY ENGLAND

Public Transport: Leicester Square

Telephone: +44 (0) 207 494 3654

URL: https://princecharlescinema.com/

Located only a short distance from Leicester Square, the Prince Charles Cinema has a reputation for showing cult favourites and regular sign-a-long screenings. There is a single, very modern and comfortable cinema though quite small on the first floor. Ground floor is the bar, and box office.