Albanian film steals the show

By Gautaman Bhaskaran

TOKYO, NOV. 4. The Albanian movie, `Slogans' virtually stole the show at the awards ceremony held here this afternoon to mark the end of the 14th Tokyo International Film Festival.

The work by Mr. Gjergj Xhuvani, based on a true incident in Albania during the Marxist-Leninist regime of the late 1970s, clinched the top Tokyo Grand Prix award of five million Yen. It also took two more prizes: for the Best Director (shared along with Mr. Reza Mir-Karimi for his Iranian film, `Under the Moonlight') and for the Best Actress. Ms. Luiza Xhuvani as a school teacher in `Slogans' conveyed with conviction the dilemma of falling in love with a colleague, and paying the price for it under a restrictive regime, which propagates party doctrines by slave driving children. They have to write slogans on a hillside by piling up white rocks to form the letters and words.

Mr. Mir-Karimi - whose `Under the Moonlight' also received the Special Jury Prize of two million yen - traces the troubled mind of a man about to become a clergyman. The Iranian director said in his acceptance speech that ``Islam never preaches violence, and that he was truly sorry for the innocent lives being lost now''.

Mr. Andrew Howard was adjudged the Best Actor for his role in Mr. Paul Sarossy's `Mr. In-Between' (in English), which narrates a love story in a thrilling and philosophical manner through the eyes of a professional killer.

The Japanese entry, `Kewaishi' (Makeup Artist) by Mr. Mitsutoshi Tanaka walked away with the Best Screenplay Award. Mr. Yoshi Yokota, who wrote it, sets this picture in the Tokyo of early 1920s, where the travails of a makeup man are spelt out against his relationship with several characters, including a geisha.

Finally, the Korean work, `One Fine Spring Day' by Mr. Hur Jin-ho was honoured with the Best Artistic Contribution Award. Also a love story, it underlines the pain of a woman recordist who is afraid that her feelings would disappear much like some of the natural sounds that have today.

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Section  : International
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