Finally, the controversy over The Cove has moved away, or rather graduated from, being about dolphin hunts and other specifics of the film to a larger debate on censorship and suppression. This happened in large part due to Shinoda Hiroyuki, chief editor of a media-centric monthly publication entitled Tsukuru (月刊 『創』). Shinoda organized a June 9 screening in Nakano of The Cove which was seen by some 600 attendees. The event was summarized in this AP article. Despite a police presence, there were no protests to be heard, just some peaceful pamphleteering. I spend a fair amount of time in Nakano but can't ever recall seeing gaisensha roll down Nakano-dôri.
Prior to the screening, a list of prominent journalists, scholars, artists and filmmakers signed a petition against the suppression of the film -- an issue altogether separate from whatever each signee may have thought of the The Cove personally. The list (Japanese only) was reproduced on the blog of talented documentary filmmaker Sôda Kazuhiro (Campaign, Mental), whose own name is included.
Earlier today, The Japan Times reported in more depth about the views expressed after the screening including those of well-known rightist Suzuki Kunio of Issui-kai, an org you may remember from the hooplah over Yasukuni (see my April 19 2008 entry). I have to give Suzuki credit for the common sense he displayed:
If [rightists] can't forgive the movie (for disgracing Japan,) they should let everybody see the movie and say 'See, this movie is horrible.' Not letting people watch the movie is anti-Japanese."
This will probably be the last entry I write about The Cove as the issue is being tracked by the international media now. I look forward to tweeting positive announcements about upcoming screenings and would like to say a big otsukaresama deshita to friend Miyuki Takamatsu at Unplugged for sticking with this effort from the very beginning.
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