Each Person Doing What They Can

MiharaBy the way, Kamanaka-san, your films sometimes capture truth with brutal honesty. What does documentary mean to you?

KamanakaAs a media professional, I act as a mediator. In "Rokkasho Rhapsody," I made an effort to convey the way of life and thoughts of the people living there as faithfully as possible. Documentary is a medium that can show facts, like 'I met this person during my explorations,' which is my starting point. However, when I saw the children dying in Iraq, I felt a profound sense of injustice. Why must these children die? And I couldn't change that reality. But you want to change it, don't you? To do that, I believe people must know that such injustices are occurring, and that we are creating them. When I filmed Rokkasho, there was injustice there too. The villagers didn't truly want to accept the reprocessing plant. It was forced upon them as national policy, and even though they were told it wasn't harmful, the villagers were the first to suffer the consequences. By presenting that situation itself, I want viewers to think for themselves.


MiharaFor example, regarding food safety and other issues, various things are happening now, and values are changing. When we become aware of such problems and injustices, what should we do? There are methods like protests and petition drives, but I suspect that government agencies and power companies are reluctant to engage in dialogue.

KamanakaI believe it's a mistake to assume that things can only be changed from the top down, such as by politicians. Take electricity, for instance. We are consumers, and in other words, customers. We buy electricity and pay for it. And that money includes the cost of reprocessing nuclear fuel. Therefore, we should be able to say, 'Please don't generate electricity in a way that produces such waste.' The other day, I interviewed a man in Sweden who drives an electric car. When I asked, 'Where does that electricity come from?' he said, 'It's from wind power.' He buys electricity from a wind power company for his home as well. When I asked if it was expensive, he replied, 'What are you talking about? It's cheaper than nuclear power.' Japan doesn't even have such an option. However, to increase our options, I think it's important for us to continue sending messages to power companies. Speaking of which, I recently visited someone who generates electricity from bamboo.

MiharaHow do you generate electricity from bamboo?

KamanakaBamboo can be considered a plant that stores solar energy. Bamboo, with its highest growth rate among plants, produces gas when chipped and fed into a generator. That gas turns a turbine to generate electricity. Furthermore, in this process, the bamboo is steamed and becomes charcoal, which can be spread on fields to improve the soil. Currently, bamboo is growing excessively throughout Japan, causing problems by encroaching on forests, but it can be utilized as a resource. Due to the effects of global warming, about 10% of Japan's forests have become bamboo groves, yet the Forestry Agency is spraying herbicides there. It's a tremendous waste, especially when we could be eating Japanese-grown bamboo shoots instead of imported ones. Japan is often said to lack resources, but if we are going to rely on petroleum and electricity for heating, which will surely be depleted in the future, there are various methods such as using bamboo chip boilers or solar energy. Therefore, a shift in thinking is necessary.


MiharaI didn't know that. Knowing such facts, perhaps Japan is, in a sense, a difficult country to live in.

KamanakaYes. Perhaps the Earth itself has already become a difficult planet to live on. There's this way of thinking: imagine the Earth's capacity to regenerate resources for us to consume and sustain our society over a year. Then, humanity has already consumed all the resources available up to 2008 by September 24th. In other words, we are currently living by consuming future resources. And this is a calculation based on the global average. But if you calculate it for Japan alone, when do you think it is?

MiharaPerhaps around June?

KamanakaNo, it's February. Japan is a country that imports and consumes resources voraciously, including petroleum and food. Although it appears to be a very prosperous country, I believe this is wrong. Energy is used when importing food and other goods, so we must be aware that we are consuming diverse forms of energy, not just electricity. Mihara-san, when you create clothing, do you consider environmental considerations?


One of these is the approach that each individual, whether a designer or a filmmaker, should consider the environment within their own field. This idea was conceived by a pediatric oncologist and is based on four principles he conceived while researching cancer. It gained traction in the late 1980s with the support of ABBA, a popular Swedish pop group at the time, and even the King expressed his support. The idea is that not everyone has to do everything; if you have a specialty, do it there. Volvo, the car manufacturer that endorsed this, announced its development of cars that run on fuels other than petroleum. They reflected on their core mission and realized they were a company that provides 'mobility,' not just cars. This led to ideas like building railway lines. By re-examining their identity, new ideas emerged. Designers, too, could consider directions beyond just making and selling clothes, such as proposing the comfort of wearing clothes that improve the environment the more you wear them.

The Belief That "People Can Connect With Anyone"

MiharaIn other words, clothes that are comfortable for both myself and the environment. It won't be easy, but I want to try my best. By the way, what is your belief, Kamanaka-san?

KamanakaWell, I suppose it's that people can connect with each other, no matter who they are. Even with those who promote nuclear power, I'd like to communicate with them. I believe they are probably doing it with the intention of doing what's best for everyone. I think the worst thing is when people with different ways of thinking don't talk to each other. I want to appeal for more conversation and for people to share their feelings, and to create such spaces.

MiharaI don't want to despair about that. If both the opposition and the proponents could discuss at the same table, I believe the situation would be different.


Simply by shifting that mindset, things can change dramatically. There are certainly limits to environmental issues. We are not yet at a point of despair, but I want to strive to ensure we don't lose hope in 20 years. This is because, having traveled around the world, I've learned that Japan is a country where one can speak so freely. If I were to do my current activities in Russia, I would have been shot dead in an elevator by now. In China, I'd be put in a bag and beaten up from behind.

MiharaYou are very cheerful, Kamanaka-san. Even though you make serious films, your cheerfulness feels like a salvation.

MiharaThat's a theme I like. I'm very much looking forward to it. So, finally, could you give a message to OPENERS readers?


Profile
Hitomi Kamanaka

Born in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, in 1958. After graduating from Waseda University, she signed an assistant director contract in 1984 with Group Gendai, a video production company specializing in documentaries. In 1987, she signed an assistant director contract with Iwanami Productions, among others. From 1990, she spent three years training at the National Film Board of Canada with a grant for overseas artistic dispatch from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. She then moved to New York and worked as a media activist. Returning to Japan in 1995, she became a freelance filmmaker and has produced numerous works, including television programs, video works, and films. Her representative works include "HIBAKUSHA: The End of the World" (2003) and "Rokkasho Rhapsody" (2006). Her new feature documentary, "The Buzzing of Bees and the Rotation of the Earth" (tentative title), is scheduled for completion in autumn 2009.

"The Buzzing of Bees and the Rotation of the Earth"
http://888earth.net/