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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2020)
December 7, 2020 A.C.E. THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 Actors connect in “subconscious” to play young, old Hokusai Jolie Musique School of the Arts offers virtual music lessons of any kind by world class trained musicians from NYC directly to your home! We guarantee quality and convenience, plus passion and experience! By Yuri Kageyama The Associated Press OKYO — A new film portraying the life of Edo-era painter and printer Hokusai features the artistry of two modern-day Japanese actors. Yuya Yagira, who won a Cannes Best Actor award for his role in Hirokazu Koreeda’s Nobody Knows, plays the younger Hokusai. Internationally acclaimed dancer Min Tanaka portrays the older Hokusai. Although Yagira and Tanaka don’t particularly look alike, their intense expressions are so similar, viewers will have no problems accepting they’re the same person. Hokusai was the closing film of the Tokyo International Film Festival, which ended last month. The festival featured online events as well as real-life film screenings with social distancing for the pandemic. Tanaka and Yagira talked at length just once, and Tanaka had suggested they don’t try too hard to work at portraying the same character, and instead just follow their own “subconscious.” “I chose to believe in the script, the director, and Yuya Yagira the actor, and believe they have already prepared what is to be inside of me. And that is enough,” Tanaka said, stressing that mimicking Yagira’s portrayal of his character as a youth wouldn’t be particularly interesting. Their interpretations of Hokusai underline the determination of artists to pursue their voice, a calling that appears to lie deeply in Tanaka and Yagira, as well as in Hokusai. Yagira sees Hokusai as a feudal-era Banksy, the British street artist, and was excited to be in a samurai film with no sword fighting scenes, featuring an artist with whom he could identify. “There are common feelings, such as wanting to be recognized but not getting recognized, basic feelings like jealousy or envy, or we want to be better,” he said. “We decided to create our own Hokusai as a young man.” The story traces Hokusai’s struggles, enduring economic, psychological, and artistic hardships amid the cruel, oppressive social backdrop of feudal Japan. The struggles culminate in Hokusai’s arriving at the spectacular waves of his famous woodblock print in the “36 Views of Mount Fuji” series. Yagira said he suggested the scene, in which a youthful Hokusai in despair walks into the ocean, almost giving up, but returns and starts drawing in a frenzy on the sand. “Why did he feel so much for waves?” he said. “I suggested maybe he had once given up on life. If you had T All ages & abilities, learning disabled & special needs included. Contact: HildeW@joliemusique.com w (646) 460-6564 SPiLt ink Gallery ARTISTIC PORTRAYAL. Actor Min Tanaka performs in a scene from Hokusai. The new film, which portrays the life of Edo-era painter and printer Hokusai, features the artistry of two modern-day Japanese actors — Min Tanaka (pictured) and Yuya Yagira. Tanaka portrays the older Hokusai in the film. (2020 Hokusai movie via AP) that kind of extreme passion, then you will find the energy to create such a world-famous painting.” The scene that’s key for Tanaka is when the older Hokusai revels in arriving at his own shade of blue. “That scene is about achieving that blue, the color that I love, and so it is with sheer joy I go into the rain. And I want to become that color, making my whole body that color,” Tanaka said with a smile, initially denying playfully that he was dancing. “The director had asked me that, if a dance becomes born, then I should create dance. It worked out fine. Yes, I danced,” he said. Hajime Hashimoto, the director, believes movies have long lived in “the world of darkness” — known as theaters — despite the challenges of various times. “That place where strangers huddle close, cry, laugh, get outraged, and have fun together,” he said. “Hokusai brings together all our feelings for that place.” Acrylic Colour Pencil Graphite Oil Pen & Ink Watercolour Pets w Holidays w Special Occasions w Just for Fun www.spiltinkgallery.com (503) 442-6427 Read The AR online: <www.asianreporter.com>! Department of Consumer & Business Services Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace Think you’re an organ and tissue donor? Not if you haven’t told your family. Open enrollment runs from November 1 to December 15 It’s the only time of year most people can buy their own health insurance. If you don’t get health insurance through your job or the Oregon Health Plan, you may qualify for coverage at OregonHealthCare.gov . You might also get help paying for your insurance. Find out what coverage and savings are available to you at OregonHealthCare.gov Visit OregonHealthCare.gov/gethelp or call 1-855-268-3767 to find FREE local help from an expert. We provide free interpretation services in any language. Act soon! The deadline is December 15. Talk to your family about organ and tissue donation. Talk to your family about donating life. For a free donor card brochure, contact: Donate Life Northwest (503) 494-7888 1-800-452-1369 www.donatelifenw.org OregonHealthCare.gov Tiếng Anh như một Ngôn ngữ Thứ hai CẢI THIỆN TIẾNG ANH CỦA QUÝ VỊ! LỚP TIẾNG ANH NHƯ MỘT NGÔN NGỮ THỨ HAI (ESL) • Học cách đọc, viết, nghe và nói tiếng Anh. 12 giờ mỗi tuần HỌC PHÍ: $30 - $60 mỗi học kỳ * CÁC CẤP BẬC TRUNG CẤP VÀ CHUYỂN TIẾP: • Học cách đọc và viết tiếng Anh dành cho đại học và nghề nghiệp. Tìm hiểu kỹ năng giao tiếp và công nghệ cần thiết để đạt được mục tiêu của quý vị. 12 giờ mỗi tuần HỌC PHÍ: $60 mỗi học kỳ* * Có hỗ trợ miễn lệ phí Giờ học: Buổi sáng và Buổi tối Ngày: Thứ hai - Thứ năm Địa điểm: Gresham hoặc Portland During these tough times, if you are able, please support local organizations, nonprofits, stores, shops, restaurants, and others by making donations or purchasing gift certificates! LỚP MIỄN PHÍ VỀ QUYỀN CÔNG DÂN HOA KỲ: • Nghiên cứu cách nộp đơn ghi danh và phỏng vấn để nhập tịch Hoa Kỳ. 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