CUEAFS Special Edition

19 November 2009

Looking through
the 3rd Window
by Elena Rapondzhieva
“ ...can change peoples’ perceptions

W
ith more than 120
people in the audi-
ence, both staff and
of the East Asian cinema.”
students from all Cov- public, he explains his leading moti- Taking about distributing Kakera:
entry University Fac- vation, saying how, when choosing “This was a project directly about
ulties, the screening of “Kakera” was what films to distribute, he looks giving a first-time break [to direc-
a complete success for the newly at whether he himself enjoys the tor Momoko Ando]. Her manage-
found East-Asian Films society. film and thinks if it is something ment agency and I really wanted to
Mr Adam Torel, owner of Third the western audience should see: “I sculpt this young woman, with lots
Window Films, entered ETG34 want to release the films I like. I re- of talent into what can be the next
Wednesday to discuss briefly about ally have no business in mind when big face of female cinema in Japan.”
his views as a film distributor and to I watch a film”
show his latest film, the unseen and
unreleased “Kakera: A Piece of Our
Lives”.
“I started my company around
four years ago with the goal to
Picture courtesy of George Rippon

bring various types of East Asian

cinema to the UK” says Torel, “but
without exploiting the market as
it has been done before by other
companies, through films like long-
hair-ghosts, action or other genre
of films. I wanted to do the full
spectrum, including dramas, com-
edies, musical comedies, even an
action or two, if I thought they were
good enough”
Regarding his company, Torel
comments: “I would like to think
of ‘Third Window’ as a window to
films from the East that can change
peoples’ perceptions of the East
Asian cinema”
Adam Torel with Spencer Murphy, talking at the screening of “Kakera”
Answering a question from the
World premiere screening
hits controversy
by Elena Rapondzhieva

„„ Wednesday’s screening of the

unreleased film “Kakera: A Piece of
Our Lives”, caused many controversial
reactions. During the film, students
and staff alike were smiling, laughing,
making disgusted or shocked faces,
gasping and at the end, applauding.
“...few
culture
munication, Culture and Media stu-
dent, “I’m going to watch it again!”
“...the
One first year student’s experi-
ence: “I thought the movie was bottle
really good, especially for a first-
time director. It shows promise turning
and the potential for future films
by Momoko Ando. I think that into a
some parts of the film were a bit
confusing though, such as the bird...”
bottle turning into a bird. Maybe it
is symbolic in the Japanese culture

barriers...”
The hour-and-a-half long drama
left the audience a bit puzzled and
opinions varied from one extreme
to the other: “I absolutely loved it!”
said Michelle, second year Com-
for something which doesn’t quite
translate to western society.”
Kris, a History student confessed:
“I didn’t like it actually, it might be
really good for its genre but this
just wasn’t my type of movie”
The plot of “Kakera” revolves
around two young women, one
suffering from a bad relationship,
but too indecisive to end it and the
other dedicated to her work as a
medical artist for a prosthetics firm.
The two begin a love affair which
soon changes their lives.
“Kakera: A piece of Our Lives”
is to have its official premiere in
London, on April 2010.

Picture source: http://mcopenmedia.org

A film scene showing the two leading characters from “Kakera”

The student and staff newsletter of the Media and

Communications department of Coventry School
of Art and Design
Edited by Teo Beleaga
Submissions invited to teo.beleaga@gmail.com
With many thanks to Elena Rapondzhieva, George Rip-
pon and all the CUEAFS members.