Lecture and film presentation by Cultural Envoy, Mr. Koji Yamamura
On December 7, in cooperation with the Japan Foundation, the Embassy of Japan had the honour of hosting Cultural Envoy of the government of Japan, Mr. Koji Yamamura for a lecture and films at the auditorium of the Embassy. Mr. Yamamura is an animation filmmaker and a professor at Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts. Approximately 110 people attended the event and Mr. Yamamura took many questions from members of the audience who were keen to learn more about his work.
Ambassador Ishikawa, who opened the event, commented that while Japan continues to shine as a country with many traditional cultures, individuals like Mr. Yamamura are creating new cultures and trends that the rest of the world can enjoy.
Mr. Yamamura screened his Oscar-nominated “Atamayama/Mt. Head” and the Ottawa International Animation Festival grand prize winning animation Franz Kafka’s “A Country Doctor.” He provided insight into the process and method of animation filmmaking which incorporates Japanese traditional forms of entertainment such as Rakugo (comic storytelling) and Kyogen (staging art). Lastly, he expressed what he believes is the ideal essence of animation by stating “Animation is the flow in the dynamic equilibrium.”
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