Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.11.2019, Blaðsíða 15

The Love Connection
The Japanese Stories Of Love festival uses filmmakin!
to create a thematic brid!e
Iceland and Japan—two volcanic is-
lands whose similarities might appear
to end there. Japan, known for its hon-
our-bound culture, values a communal
sense of self; family over the individual.
Iceland, meanwhile, is wilder, louder,
non-conformist. But Bíó Paradís, in co-
operation with the Embassy of Japan,
seeks to create a bridge between the two
lands with an upcoming film festival,
Japanese Stories of Love, which will run
from November 8th to 11th.
The universal topic
“Love is a universal topic,” Ása Bal-
dursdóttir, the program director at Bíó
Paradís, explains. “It’s something that
we have in common as humans to con-
nect through the medium of film.”
For Ása, the young Icelandic film
scene has yet to present a love story
like those coming from Japan, which is
why it’s important to expose Icelandic
audiences to these films. “Storytellers
from Japan are so tangible with their
storytelling. It’s subtle and poetic—at
times like reading a good novel,” she
says. “Icelandic filmmaking is more
into social realism or comical versions
of love.”
Reiko Tatematsu, the head of cul-
tural division at the Embassy of Japan,
also sees these cultural differences,
but more in relation to familiar love.
“The form of ‘family’ in Japan and Ice-
land seem quite different,” she says.
In Iceland, she explains, non-married
couples often have children together
and non-biologically family cohabitate.
This is not common in Japan. “In Japan,
family is in a more formal structures,
so it will be interesting to see how Ice-
landic audiences perceive the family
relations depicted in these films.”
Selfless love
The festival features four films, open-
ing with Ryota Nakano’s ‘Her Love Boils
Bathwater’. It’s a favourite of Reiko.
“The film shows a dying woman’s
determination to bring her family to-
gether,” Reiko summarises. “Japanese
woman are normally seen as reserved
and conservative, but this film might
change the audience’s perspective on
that.”
Ása is equally excited to present the
film. “It’s a story of selfless love,” she
says. “What does that mean? Is love ever
selfless? What is the opposite, un-self-
less love? Is that motherly love, or what
kind of love are they talking about?”
Relatable themes
If you’re unable to catch this festival,
Japanese film days will be held from De-
cember 4th to 8th. The celebration will
showcase new Japanese action films,
animation, and classical favourites.
“The access to Japanese films has
been very low in Iceland,” Ása laments.
This is particularly true of modern
films, which is why all the pictures
screened at the Japanese Stories of Love
festival were created quite recently.
“There are always enthusiastic Kuro-
sawa fans out there. However, this time
we wanted to introduce modern Japa-
nese films so that you can also learn
about current Japanese society and
what ordinary people’s lives are,” Reiko
says. “Some of these films deal with
themes like LGBT rights, school bul-
lying, loneliness in society, and other
various social challenges Japanese so-
ciety is currently facing. I believe these
themes are something Iceland is also
coping with.”
Words:
Hannah Jane
Cohen
Photo:
Provided by
Festival
Words:
Alexander Le
Sage de Fontenay
Photo:
Matthew Eisman
CULTURE
NEWS
ELECTRIC
DREAMS
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"Love is a universal topic."
Evil Suburban Kids
Gettin! spiritual with Elli Grill whose
heart of !old beats to techno
Over the past few years, Elli Grill has
become an easily-recognized figure
within the Icelandic music scene.
From his early-days performing near-
exclusively with hip hop collective
Shades of Reykjavík, to participating
in Iceland’s national selection-compe-
tition for this year’s Eurovision Song
Contest and releasing dance-oriented
songs that fuse rap with techno.
Style-wise, Elli Grill could be seen
as a mongrel of-sorts. “I’m all over the
place, just like my brain,” he explains.
“I mix styles, old and new, but I like to
stick to a theme for every project. I’ve
come to realize Elli Grill is a genre of
his own.”
Elli’s inspiration can be found near
Festival
The Japanese
Stories of Love
festival takes
place at Bíó
Paradís from
November 8th to
11th. Tickets are
800 ISK per film.
Music
Cop Elli Grill’s
latest album
‘Rassa Bassi
Vol. 2’ online
at elligrillehf.
bandcamp.com
and stream his
entire catalogue
on Spotify.
Follow up on
Elli’s devious
behaviour at
instagram.com/
elligrillehf
and far. “Sometimes it’s an Icelan-
dic rave in a cave, sometimes my
insanity, sometimes my heart-of-
gold, sometimes Europe, sometimes
[Tennessee hip hop collective] The
Southern Demon Herd, but most-
of-all it’s skating,” he explains.
The artist says he writes most
of his lyrics in the tub. “I like to
take long baths. Techno-producer
LaFontaine is usually around to
keep the temperature just right,”
he says. “Then we visit my producer
and sound-engineer Balatron to
make some music! Or, we might all
fight about how Jeff Mills’ tracks just
aren’t spacey enough.”
A couple of weeks ago, Elli cel-
ebrated the release of ‘Rassa Bassi
Vol. 2’ at Gaukurinn. “It was a truly
spiritual-experience with lots of
strobe-lights,” he says. “‘Rassa Bassi
Vol. 2’ is a follow-up to my last album
‘Pott!étt Elli Grill.’ It goes further
down the rabbit hole of true techno
madness.”
Elli Grill will be performing at
Priki" with cross-disciplinary art-
ist Ska"i on November 14th. “Then,
we’ll be launching record-label Evil
Suburban Kids, our first label-night
being at Bravó on November 16th
with some serious local talent,”
he explains. “Then, in December I
will release this year most popular
Christmas song and have a huge par-
ty. A spiritual Christmas-experience
from Elli Grill to you.”
Serving Saga Realness
Memoirs Of A Valkyrie
November 8th & 16th - 20:30 -
Tjarnarbíó - 4,400 ISK
Serve up some Valkyrie realness
with drag queens Agatha P., Faye
Knús, Gógó Starr, and Sigga Eyrún in
this romp through the multiple tales
of the beloved shieldmaiden
Brynhildr—who you might know
from stories like Wagner’s Die
Walküre, Sleeping Beauty, and more.
Through the mediums of beauty
pageants, opera, rap, and a
hysterical take on contemporary
dance, the four divas will show you
history like you’ve never seen it. HJC
Tutus Optional
Swan Lake
November 21st, 22nd & 23rd - 19:30
& 14:00 - Harpa - 19:30
Seeing a live performance of Swan
Lake is on most people’s ‘100 Things
To Do Before I Die’ list. Okay, maybe
that’s an exaggeration, but
experiencing Tchaikovsky's classic
certainly won’t be something you’ll
regret. Harpa now offers you the
chance to catch the most popular
ballet—danced by the St.
Petersburg Festival Ballet, no less.
So enter the tragic story of princess
Odette and tick the must-see off
your list. LM
Corpse Paint Mandatory
Reykjavík Goth Night: Mortiis,
Almyrkvi & NYI"
November 16th - 21:00 - Gaukurinn
- 2,000 ISK
Mortiis, Almyrkvi, and NYI" will be in
the same room, performing one-
after each other, and at the intimate
grunge-y dive of Gaukurinn—
wow. Let’s start with Mortiis, the
industrial/black metal/ambient/
dungeon synth melange are black
metal icons, and definitely usually
play bigger stages than this.
Next up, the cosmic darkness of
Grapevine-favourite Almyrkvi will
be a surefire aphrodisiac and add
to that one of those weird candle/
skulls NYI" rituals. Sign us up. HJC