Shukan New York Seikatsu (Oct. 24th, 2009)
NY Seikatsu Woman
(Shukan NY Seikatsu supports women who are making a positive contribution at home, at work and at school.)
"Creating Laughter By Building Moment Upon Moment"
"Mari Kawade - Filmmaker who directed comedy short, "PARK"
Mari makes the observation: "People from the Kansai area (which includes Osaka, Japan) always ask 'Why?' when someone says, 'I'm going to the bathroom.' Isn't that odd?"
She makes people laugh with that unexpected discovery and creates a relaxed atmosphere for the interviewer. While on the set of her film, she can just as easily create a sense of gravity with a simple moment of silence.
"PARK", her third film, is set primarily in Central Park. The main character Sho, (Tsukasa Kondo) is a Japanese banker who has just been sent by his company to New York for a new job position. Over the course of the film, Sho discovers "a precious thing" through a series of events beginning with a chance meeting in the park with New Yorker, Jerry (Aaron Oetting).
The story is based on her own experience. Ms. Kawade lived in New York for a year in 1996. She was attending art schools and film school, looking for what she would like to do in the future. During that time, she took her initial step into the film world and completed her first film, "UNDER THE BRIDGE".
After her visa expired the next year, she returned to Japan and started working as a promoter for music and comedy events. Although she was very successful, the feeling she got from her New York film experience was ever-present in her mind.
"I wanted to make movies, but I wasn't. That disturbed me," she said. "And over time, I realized I had to 'Be Myself'".
So she returned to New York after ten years in the Japanese live entertainment business. After being back for two years and having directed a second film, she felt ready to express her personal experience through this movie.
"PARK" is her first comedy, born of her observations of the differences between Japanese and American culture and her first-hand experience with the hard-working comedians she encountered in Kansai.
"Comedy is not a creature created by people who laugh when they create. Good comedy many times comes from people working hard and being thoughtful," she told us with a serious face. "In Japan, I would watch comedians rehearse their routines again and again in front of a mirror, working out the minute details of timing and gestures, building, moment by moment, the routine into a funny act."
She enjoyed the audition process, where she saw many American actors who were entertaining whether being shy or confident. And now, with her film, it is her turn to entertain and give laughter. "In Japan, film sets are very strict, almost militaristic. But here, I have a directing style that's more relaxed," Mari said.
"PARK" is a cute, funny and peaceful comedy and will be screened at the Big Apple Film Festival and the Queens International Film Festival in November. For more info go to the website: www.marikawade.com.
(by Takayuki Shimazu)