TOKYO -- One of Asia's premier film events, the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), concluded in November after highlighting women and social minorities, including via a new women's empowerment category and a Chinese film about a young man with cerebral palsy which won the Audience Award. The Mainichi looked back on the event that offered a variety of opportunities for the general public to interact with the directors and actors.

Spotlight on 'Doctor X' showcasing women in action

The festival's new Women's Empowerment section focuses on films directed by women or featuring female protagonists in active roles.

Among the section's highlights was a special screening of "Doctor X the Movie," the finale of a beloved Japanese medical TV drama series that began in 2012. The series follows Michiko Daimon, a female freelance surgeon energetically navigating Japan's male-dominated society.

At its world premiere, screenwriter Miho Nakazono stated, "Japan faces a severe gender gap by international standards. Women have been working hard and enduring hardship without rebelling against the social structure. I wanted to create a drama that would encourage these women to go to work with renewed energy by watching it." She credited the drama's 12-year-success to support from not only women, but men as well, as it portrayed the melancholies of working in organizations.

Ryoko Yonekura, who played Michiko, was asked by the emcee what her favorite line was. Though "I never fail" is the protagonist's trademark phrase, the actor confessed about her real life, "I always make mistakes, like falling down stairs, so it was quite difficult for me to say that," and revealed, "I enjoyed a line from the first season, 'I won't do that.' Through Michiko, I got to express things that people would want to say to bosses or those who they disliked, but couldn't. I liked confirming that it was OK to say these things."

Just as Yonekura was about to leave the stage, fans in the audience simultaneously held up messages of gratitude. Wiping away tears, she responded, "Thank you for the 12 years."

'A normal person'

The Audience Award, determined by votes from the audience of the competition screening, was given to the Chinese film "Big World." The story centers on a young man with cerebral palsy living resiliently while dealing with the challenges of family relationships and first love. In one scene, he receives an interview for a part-time job at a cafe to fund his university education, where he presents himself to the best of his ability. When the manager tells him, "I want to hire a normal person," he responds, "I am a normal person." The moment leaves a lasting impression on viewers.

At the awards ceremony, director Yang Lina emphasized, "A film must speak to the heart, and the protagonist Chunhu, representing the younger generation, does that. He is a normal person." She added at a press conference, "There are 17 million cerebral palsy patients worldwide, including six million in China alone. Through the film, I wanted to portray the thoughts and worries in daily lives of the younger generation, to which main character belongs."

According to Yang, numerous young Japanese viewers expressed feeling encouraged by and connected to Chunhu.

Kurosawa Akira Award honors Japanese, Taiwanese directors

This year, the Kurosawa Akira Award, which honors the Japanese auteur's legacy and is presented annually to filmmakers deemed qualified to be entrusted with the industry's future, was given to Japanese director Sho Miyake and Taiwanese director Fu Tien-yu.

The winners praised each other's work at a press conference. Miyake commended Fu's "Day Off," a heartwarming story portraying lives of ordinary people, with a female barber as its main character. "The film depicts a wonderful craftswoman who loves her work, and it left me wanting to do a good job like hers. I'm pleased to receive the award alongside you."

In turn, Fu lauded Miyake's "Small, Slow But Steady," based on a true story of a boxer with hearing disability, "It is a remarkable film. It portrays a woman who continues to box, and has something in common with my film about a woman who continues to work hard at her job as a barber."

Fu reflected on her admiration for Kurosawa's "Ikiru (To Live)," which she first saw as a student in Taiwan. "I was deeply moved by its depiction of joys, sorrows and pleasures of ordinary people." Whenever struggling with her screenplay writing, to gain inspiration she watches an interview of Kurosawa, in which he said that writing is about the same as mountain climbing and if you keep your eyes on your feet and move forward step by step, you will eventually reach the top.

Film festival engages with public

The festival offered various events showcasing the diverse power of cinema. Free, outdoor day and nighttime screenings of classics like "Stand by Me" and "Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato" drew crowds to Hibiya Step Square, with the audience on weekends spilling out from the prepared chairs to nearby stairs.

TIFF Lounge organized a series of talks among filmmakers, including a conversation between Indian director Payal Kapadia, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and Hirokazu Kore-eda, who served on its jury. Fans enthusiastically asked questions, and the event provided a rare opportunity to interact with globally acclaimed directors.

During the Ethical Film Award talk session, actor and filmmaker Takumi Saitoh, who served as a jury member alongside three university students, shared how his perception of the nominated films evolved through discussions. "The screening session was the most meaningful time for me," he said.

One of the students expressed the impact of the animated film "Flow," directed by Gints Zilbalodis, which views the world from the eyes of a cat, saying, "Because there were no words in the film, the true meaning was found through dialogue with others after viewing it." The event conveyed the fun of sharing different points of view after watching films.

It was also impressive that Saitoh suggested recording the screening session of the Ethical Film Award and made the minutes of it public, while Kore-eda prefaced his conversation by saying that he signed a pledge not to talk about the screening process at the Cannes Film Festival until he dies, so he could not go into detail.

The festival concluded with the French comedy "Marcello Mio," directed by Christophe Honore and starring Chiara Mastroianni, who also served on the Competition Jury. Co-starring with her mother, Catherine Deneuve, she played the role of "Chiara Mastroianni" who tries to emulate her father, the late Marcello Mastroianni. She introduced the film to be about missing someone they've lost, and said, "The idea of the film is trying to have someone come back. Anyone who's suffered the loss of someone can understand."

Transcending borders and time, cinema has the power to move people's hearts and create warm interactions. As Rinko Kikuchi said at the opening ceremony, film truly is a universal language.

(This is part two of a two-part series.)

(By Yuko Murase, The Mainichi Staff Writer)