Cover Story: Picture this

BY TOMOYA ISHIKAWA, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

That Chinese director Li Ying tackled a controversial theme with his documentary on war-related Yasukuni Shrine is beyond dispute.

Film director Li Ying responds to media questions in Tokyo on March 10. (TOMOYA ISHIKAWA)

But just as controversial are the many "unusual" steps that were taken before the film is to be shown in Japan next month.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs played a key role in those proceedings, raising concern about freedom of expression.

On March 12, the agency arranged a preview of Li's "Yasukuni" for Diet lawmakers at the request of a group of conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party members.

They had questioned whether the film's content had "anti-Japanese" elements and "lacked objectivity," noting that Li received a public subsidy to help cover production costs.

Now, the process of awarding such subsidies is under scrutiny, while Li's office has been asked to provide a report on when he obtained filming permission and whether he abided by copyright procedures, among other details.

The agency has gone so far as to provide copies of Li's subsidy application papers to the lawmakers' group.

"We have never experienced such a thing," said a source in the movie industry.

Film director Yoichi Sai summed up the concerns of filmmakers.

"Whether this film is anti-Japanese or not is a subjective question," he said. "I feel these moves amount to putting considerable pressure on freedom of expression."

Li's two-hour documentary is about the shrine in Tokyo that honors Class-A war criminals along with the nation's war dead.

It features scenes at the shrine on the Aug. 15 anniversary of the end of World War II. The Japan Arts Council, an independent administrative entity, provided 7.5 million yen to Li in fiscal 2006 as a production subsidy.

A group led by Tomomi Inada, a Lower House member from the LDP, questioned the funding.

The agency moved quickly at the group's request. On Feb. 22, it booked a hall in Tokyo's Kyobashi area, and asked Argo Pictures, the film's distributor, for its cooperation, saying the preview costs would be paid "by this side."

Argo rejected the request on grounds it would be wrong to grant a preview only for "people with certain ideas and of certain positions."

The agency acquiesced, and decided on Feb. 26 to schedule a preview for all interested lawmakers.

Argo's invitation initially said the preview was "co-sponsored" by the agency. The agency asked it be changed to "cooperation" and be printed in small type.

The invitation was sent out to all Diet members in early March.

Education minister Kisaburo Tokai scolded agency officials after the preview, saying "cooperation" sounded as if the agency had recommended it.

In fact, it was involved in arranging the preview from the start. But the agency's "cooperation" wavered after The Asahi Shimbun learned about the preview and contacted it for comment on March 5.

The agency then asked Argo to foot the preview bill. The request incensed Argo officials, but the company agreed to pay up to avoid further confrontation.

Officials of the agency's Arts and Culture Division claimed there was a misunderstanding.

It initially planned to ask Inada's group to pay, but thought Argo should cover it as the target audience was expanded, they said.

About 80 lawmakers and secretaries viewed Li's film on March 12. Security for the showing was tight.

The following day at the LDP headquarters, Inada and others questioned agency officials over how the funding was decided.

While denying any intention to trample on freedom of expression, they asked if the film was sufficiently objective to have warranted a subsidy.

Most of the production staff were Chinese, and the film used photos that purportedly were taken during the 1937 Nanking Massacre but whose authenticity has been questioned, they said.

Funding rules require a recipient to be making a "Japanese film" that has "no intent to promote political or religious ideas," they said.

Hiroshi Imazu, an LDP lawmaker who heads a group calling for lawmakers' visit to Yasukuni Shrine, commented, "The screening process for the subsidy raises questions."

According to the council, an expert panel screens each application on the basis of the project proposal. To ensure neutrality, the members' names remain withheld until the panel has reached its decision. The screening process is not made public.

In fiscal 2006, 22 of 96 applications for film subsidies were approved.

The panel and council officials who saw Li's film in a March 2007 preview also decided there was "no problem."

Since 1990, once a subsidy has been granted it has never been withheld, according to officials.

The agency, meanwhile, said it was "not unusual" to review the subsidy screening process for a movie if questions are raised later about the content.

Documentary film director Tatsuya Mori had nothing nice to say about the involvement of lawmakers and the agency in the preview screening process.

"Of course, (lawmakers) have the freedom to criticize a film as individuals, but it is against the rule to ask for a special preview screening and then as politicians pronounce a film to be biased," he said.

"I understand the agency was compelled to follow the lawmakers' request, but it should work harder to protect film producers."

The Federation of Cinema and Theatrical Workers Union of Japan was concerned enough to send a letter of inquiry to the agency.

The 580-member Directors Guild of Japan plans to release a statement, too.

"Yasukuni" won best documentary award at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on Wednesday.

Li, who came to Japan to find the freedom to make films, told the awards ceremony: "My wish now is to see the film released smoothly."

It was to be shown in five theaters in Tokyo and Osaka from April 12, but one theater pulled out after the controversy arose.(IHT/Asahi: March 28,2008)