the FRF Video Club presents...
The Making of a Japanese
A film by Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Ema Ryan Yamazaki's latest feature film THE MAKING OF A JAPANESE follows one year in a Japanese public school.
With unprecedented access to a school in Tokyo, the film intimately follows 1st and 6th graders for one year, observing kids learning the traits necessary to become part of Japanese society.
BONUS CONTENT!
Access three days of unlimited film viewing, plus a special Q&A with director Ema Ryan Yamazaki. Moderated by FRF Fellow Gina Slavin.
Having attended Japanese elementary school herself, the film comes from Ema's belief that the foundation of Japanese society can be seen in its school system.
The film has received numerous awards including the Audience Award at the largest festivals for Japanese film in both Europe and the USA. The film was a box office hit in Japan, creating a wide conversation around the Japanese education system.
Tokyo International Film Festival 2023 - World Premiere | Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 2024 (Greece) | Nippon Connection (Germany) - Winner, Nippon Docs Award 2024 | Japan Cuts (NYC) - Winner, Audience Award 2024 | EIDF EBS International Documentary Film Festival (South Korea)Winner, Special Jury Award 2024 | Kineko International Film Festival (Tokyo) Winner, Best Documentary Award 2024
Ema Ryan Yamazaki is an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker who has received critical acclaim both in Japan and internationally. Raised in Osaka by a Japanese mother and British father, she grew up navigating between Japanese and Western cultures. Having studied filmmaking at New York University, Ema uses her unique storytelling perspective as an insider and outsider in Japan.
The New York Times Op-Doc version of the project, INSTRUMENTS OF A BEATING HEART, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film, making Ema the first Japanese filmmaker with a film about Japan to be nominated in the category. INSTRUMENTS OF A BEATING HEART is one of the most watched documentaries on the New York Times platform in its history, and is included as a bonus short on THE MAKING OF A JAPANESE dvd.
Ema’s previous film KOSHIEN: JAPAN’S FIELD OF DREAMS explores the phenomenon of high school baseball in Japan. In co-production with NHK, the film is an intimate and dramatic journey following coaches and players from two high schools - one being Shohei Ohtani's alma mater - during the historic 100th summer tournament.