125 Years Memory Explained

125 Years Memory
Native Name:
Kanji:海難1890
Revhep:Kainan 1890
Director:Mitsutoshi Tanaka
Music:Michiru Oshima
Cinematography:Tetsuo Nagata
Runtime:132 minutes[1]
Country:Japan
Turkey
Language:Japanese
Turkish
English
Budget:US$15 million[2]

is a 2015 drama film directed by Mitsutoshi Tanaka starring Seiyo Uchino, Kenan Ece and Shioli Kutsuna.[1] [3] Two historical incidents that deepened the friendship between Japan and Turkey are connected in this story of friendship and compassion: The sinking of the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul off the Japanese coast in 1890 and the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Iran in 1985.[4] [5] It received the Japan Academy Film Prize in ten categories, including Best Art Direction, Best Sound Recording, Excellent Film and Excellent Director.[6] [7] A Japanese-Turkish co-production, the film was produced by Japan's Creators' Union and Toei together with Turkey's Böcek Yapım. It was released in Japan by Toei on 5 December 2015 and in Turkey by CGV Mars on 25 December 2015.[1] [8]

Plot

Ertuğrul episode

In the night of 16 September 1890, while returning from a goodwill visit to Japan, the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul is caught up in a typhoon and sinks in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kushimoto, Wakayama. Hearing the alarm bell the villagers of Kashino, a poor fishing village on Kushimoto's island of Kii Oshima, rush to the shore. They are confronted with the grisly spectacle of vast numbers of dead and dying. With more than 500 crew members dead, it is one of the largest sea accidents in history at that time. Risking their own lives, the villagers are able to rescue 69 Turkish sailors. Tamura (Seiyo Uchino), a doctor living in Kashino village, and his assistant Haru (Shioli Kutsuna) treat the injured. In the wake of her life rescuing efforts Haru builds a special bond with Mustafa (Kenan Ece), an officer on the Ertuğrul. Although being very poor and having hardly to eat, the villagers share what little they have with strangers from a country 9,000 kilometers away and give them shelter in their small village of only 60 households.

Tehran episode

In the year 1985, during the Iran–Iraq War, Iraq announces an indiscriminate attack and to shoot down any aircraft over Iranian air space. Japanese Ambassador Yutaka Nomura (Toshiyuki Nagashima) requests rescue flights from Japan, but is told that a quick response is not possible. While evacuation flights from other nations are arriving, more than 300 Japanese are stranded in Tehran. Harumi (Shioli Kutsuna), a teacher at the Tehran Japanese School, prevails upon Nomura to ask the Turkish ambassador for help. Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal (Deniz Oral) decides to evacuate the Japanese. In the morning of 19 March, only a few hours before Iraq's ultimatum expires, a Turkish Airlines aircraft takes off for Tehran. Not only is Tehran already under heavy rocket fire, but the remaining Turks at Tehran Mehrabad Airport still need to be convinced that they won't be able to board their own country's evacuation flight. That's when Turkish embassy staff Murat (Kenan Ece) starts speaking out to his fellow citizens about the compassion and sacrifice Japanese villagers had shown to Turkish sailors shipwrecked far away a long time ago.

Background

The film was initiated by the residents of Kushimoto, a coastal town in Wakayama Prefecture where the first episode of the film takes place.[9] For a very long time they wanted to make a film about the Ertuğrul story and thus send a message of friendship and peace to the rest of the world. To pursue their goal, Kushimoto Mayor Katsumasa Tashima contacted film director Mitsutoshi Tanaka and the NPO Ertuğrul Saves the World was established in the city of Wakayama.[10] After more than ten years of work the film was completed in 2015, commemorating the 125th anniversary of Japanese-Turkish friendship.[11] [12]

Cast

Leading artists

[1] Motosada Tamura

[1] Mustafa/Murat

[1] Haru/Harumi

[1] Bekir

Supporting artists

Yuki

Yutaka Nomura

Kudo

Mayor Sato

[1] Shintaro

[1] Tome

[1] Gentaro Fujimoto

[1] Kimura

Shinichi

[1] Heiji

Takeshita

Sato

Âli Bey

Osman Pasha (tr)

Hatice

Michi Kimura

Turgut Özal

Mahmut

Naci

Ali Efendi

Süleyman Bey

Turkish Airlines ground staff

Ertuğrul crew member

Hüseyin

Can

Müge Sayar

Turkish naval officer

İhsan Pekel

Salih

Biwa artist

Kiyo

Veysel Atasoy

Tae

Yamamoto

Kushimoto resident

Mankichi

Kushimoto resident

Japanese embassy staff

Naoki Agata

Mehmet Ali

Takeo

Katsu

Kushimoto resident

Selim

Courtesan in Kushimoto

Japanese national in Tehran

Courtesan in Kushimoto

Hayri

Sarkis

Nobu

Ertuğrul crew member

Turkish Airlines official

Miyamoto

Courtesan in Kushimoto

Yoshimoto

Yano

Fukushima

Hiroyuki Kimura

Orhan Suyolcu

Release

Prior to the film's official launch, special screenings took place in Wakayama City on 20 October 2015 and in Fukuoka on 2 November 2015.[13] A novelization by author Mika Toyoda was published on 6 November 2015.[14] During a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Turkey, Abe and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan watched a 30-minute promotional version of the film at Yıldız Palace in Istanbul on 13 November 2015.[15] They were joined by director Mitsutoshi Tanaka, actor Kenan Ece and actress Melis Babadağ.[16] Pre-release screenings took place in Kushimoto from 23 to 25 November 2015 and in Osaka on 28 November 2015.[17] [18] After the world premiere on 1 December 2015 in Tokyo, the film was released in Japan on 5 December 2015, screening in 309 movie theaters.[19] [20] At the Marunouchi Toei Theater in Tokyo audiences were greeted by director Mitsutoshi Tanaka and actors Seiyo Uchino, Kenan Ece, Shioli Kutsuna and Yui Natsukawa on the opening day.[21] Following opening galas in Ankara on 22 December 2015 and in Istanbul on 24 December 2015, the film was released in Turkey on 25 December 2015.[22] [23] In Turkey the film screened in 300 movie theaters.[24] The theme song Ertuğrul Türküsü, sung by Turkish folk singer Kubat, was released on 29 December 2015.[25] In the film, the song is performed by actor Savaş Satış. Since its theatrical release the film has screened around the world, most notably at the 2016 Toronto Japanese Film Festival. A DVD and Blu-ray disc were released by Toei Video on 8 June 2016.[26] Starting in 2021, online screenings took place in various countries, e.g. in the UK in June 2021 and in Canada and the USA in March 2022.[27] [28] [29] [30] The film is available online on demand on most common Japanese streaming platforms, among others on the Japanese site of Amazon Prime Video.[31]

Reception

Box office

On its opening weekend in Japan, the film was fourth in both admissions, with 88,295,[32] and gross, with .[33] On its second weekend, it dropped to seventh, again both in admissions[34] and in gross, with .[35] On its third weekend, it was tenth placed in both admissions[36] and gross, with .[37] In Wakayama Prefecture, where the first part of the film takes place, the film screened in 5 theaters.[38] With 6,247 admissions and ¥6.9 million in ticket sales on its first day it became the highest grossing film on opening day in Wakayama for 2015.[39] Total theatrical revenue was ¥780 million in Japan and ₺4.7 million in Turkey.

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipients and nomineesResults
201639th Japan Academy Film Prize[40] Picture of the Year
Director of the YearMitsutoshi Tanaka
Screenplay of the Year
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleSeiyo Uchino
Outstanding Achievement in MusicMichiru Oshima
Outstanding Achievement in CinematographyTetsuo Nagata
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting DirectionKiyoto Ando
Outstanding Achievement in Art DirectionHidefumi Hanatani
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording
Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing
2017VFX-JAPAN Awards 2017[41] [42] Best Motion PictureMasaaki Kamada

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=353092. ja:海難1890(2015). March 8, 2016. allcinema. Stingray. Japanese.
  2. Web site: 田中光敏監督新作は壮大な感動秘話 「海難1890」主演内野聖陽さん . 4 October 2015 . Fukui Shimbun . 21 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151009003739/http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/event_calture/80998.html . 9 October 2015 . ja.
  3. Web site: 125 Years Memory official website . 5 September 2019.
  4. News: Akalın . Can . 13 June 2016 . 30 . 5 . A tale of two countries bound by tragedy and heroism . Nikkei Voice . Toronto . 11 . 22 November 2018.
  5. Nishihiro, Shinji. "西廣理事よりNPOの活動状況について", NPO Ertuğrul Saves the World, Wakayama. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  6. https://japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=39 "第39回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品"
  7. http://www.c-union.co.jp/m-tanaka/profile/ "プロフィール"
  8. Web site: Kainan 1890 (125 Years Memory). March 8, 2016. Box Office Mojo.
  9. Book: Akalın, Can . Esen . Esin . 2022 . Ertuğrul Dünyada Barışa . Ertuğrul Saves the World . Kotodama İstanbul Kokorozashi . 4 . Turkish . Istanbul . Efe Akademi Yayınları . 143–153 . 978-625-8121-71-1.
  10. Tomita, Hirofumi. "冨田理事よりNPOの活動状況について", NPO Ertuğrul Saves the World, Wakayama. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  11. http://kansai.pia.co.jp/news/cinema/2015-11/kainan-1123.html "「海難1890」特別先行上映舞台挨拶"
  12. http://kansai.pia.co.jp/interview/cinema/2015-12/kainan1890.html "二つの史実をもとに描く「海難1890」田中光敏監督インタビュー"
  13. Web site: 「海難1890」完成 試写会で知事涙 . 22 October 2015 . Wakayama Shimpo . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  14. Web site: 海難1890 奇跡の実話に基づいた大作映画のノベライズ . . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  15. Web site: Antalya'yı unutamayacaklar . Özkaya . Sefa . 13 November 2015 . . 19 November 2022 . tr.
  16. Web site: 日本・トルコ合作「海難1890」、両国首脳が鑑賞 . 14 November 2015 . 映画.com . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  17. Web site: 「海難1890」エキストラも涙…串本町で先行上映 . 23 November 2015 . . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  18. Web site: 映画「海難1890」特別試写会in近畿大学 . 29 November 2015 . . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  19. Web site: 内野聖陽、ケナン・エジェ、忽那汐里、アリジャン・ユジェソイ、田中光敏監督が登壇した「海難1890」ワールドプレミア . 2 December 2015 . PIA Kansai . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  20. Web site: 内野聖陽、日本・トルコ合作「海難1890」公開に感無量「やっとここに立てた」 . 5 December 2015 . 映画.com . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  21. Web site: 映画「海難1890」初日舞台挨拶 . 7 December 2015 . . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  22. Web site: 'Ertuğrul 1890' filminin özel gösterimi yapıldı . Öztürk . Ahmet Umur . Yılmaz . İbrahim Berat . 22 December 2015 . . 19 November 2022 . tr.
  23. Web site: 忽那汐里、「海難1890」トルコプレミアに喜び 「公開を待ち望んでいた」 . 25 December 2015 . CinemaCafé.net . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  24. Web site: いよいよトルコでも公開を迎える「海難1890」 . 25 December 2015 . PIA Kansai . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  25. Web site: Kubat'ın sesinden, Ertuğrul Fırkateyni anısına Türkü... . 5 January 2016 . . 19 November 2022 . tr.
  26. Web site: 「海難1890」特集 . . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  27. Web site: 125 Years Memory –A Story of Friendship and Compassion . Events for London . 19 November 2022.
  28. Web site: 125 Years Memory – A Story of Friendship and Compassion . 25 February 2022 . . 19 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221009015137/https://nowtoronto.com/events/screening-125-years-memory-a-story-of-friendship-and-compassion . 9 October 2022.
  29. News: 日本・トルコ合作映画「海難1890」オンライン上映会 . 14 March 2022 . Japan Canada Today . 3 April 2023 . ja.
  30. News: 映画「海難1890」NYプレミア無料配信 . 眞々田 . 23 February 2022 . 855 . . New York . 6 . 19 November 2022 . ja.
  31. Web site: 海難1890を観る . . 19 November 2022.
  32. Web site: Japan Box Office Report – 12/5~12/6. December 9, 2015. March 8, 2016. tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC.
  33. Web site: Japan Box Office December 5–6, 2015. March 8, 2016. Box Office Mojo.
  34. Web site: Japan Box Office Report – 12/12~12/13. December 16, 2015. March 8, 2016. tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC.
  35. Web site: Japan Box Office December 12–13, 2015. March 8, 2016. Box Office Mojo.
  36. Web site: Japan Box Office Report – 12/19~12/20. December 23, 2015. March 8, 2016. tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC.
  37. Web site: Japan Box Office December 19–20, 2015. March 8, 2016. Box Office Mojo.
  38. Web site: 日本トルコ合作映画「海難1890」公開 初日動員数、和歌山で今年1位に . 8 December 2015 . 和歌山経済新聞 . 21 November 2022 . ja.
  39. Web site: 「海難1890」が好スタート 田中光敏監督「積み重ねる力は奇跡を起こす」 . 7 December 2015 . Oricon News . 21 November 2022 . ja.
  40. Web site: http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/39.html. ja:第39回日本アカデミー賞優秀賞決定!. March 8, 2016. japan-academy-prize.jp. Japanese.
  41. https://vfx-japan.jp/award2017sokuhou "VFX-JAPANアワード2017 優秀賞決定"
  42. https://cgworld.jp/feature/1703-vfx-japan-award2017.html "CGとVFXの祭典「京楽ピクチャーズ.PRESENTS VFX-JAPANアワード2017」表彰式"