Hung Fist

Japan release of ‘Confession’ pulled after director Hideo Sakaki accused of sexual abuse

"Allegations by several actresses were published by a Japanese magazine."

https://www.screenda...5168531.article

Third Window Filmsin Adam Torel kommentoi foorumilla:

"The Japanese film industry and especially the majority of people connected to Sion Sono and Sushi Typhoon are pretty bad. All are 100x worse than Sion Sono himself, but Sono is a part of a group of very bad people in a very toxic environment in a country which is very very behind the times in regards to gender equality and sexual harassment in the workplace is still pretty rife especially in regards to people who are from a certain generation (i.e. Sono's generation).

When we made LOWLIFE LOVE, it was a very black comedy but sort of a documentary about the Japanese independent film scene (ironically the film starred Kinoshita Houka who I didn't know was like that), but actually many parts of the Japanese independent scene are much worse than Lowlife Love. People like Tak Sakaguchi and Hideo Sakaki have been known for years as sexual predators and the only thing that surprised me is how few people stepped up to accuse them.

In Sono's case, while I personally don't at all think that he's anywhere near the levels of Tak, Hideo Sakaki and especially people around him like Haruo Umekawa (he's the real Weinstein of this situation) for sure there has been sexual impropriety in the fact that he has slept with many of the actresses he's worked with (which is a fact considering he ended up marrying one and was dating Hikari Mitsushima too) and he's from a generation and country where sexual advances to women in working situations was not seen as bad as it is today. Though there's no way you could say he hasn't, in all his career, done things wrong looking at them from the eyes of a Western and younger generation, but at the same time (while not excusing his actions) I don't believe he's nearly as bad as what he's being talked about now. I also think that many of the things that he's being accused of also came from his past and in a even more different time and an even more twisted setup within the film industry. I do believe though that the others accused are for sure bad and worse than the news is being written about, but Sono is a bit more complicated I believe.

Not excusing it at all, but it's all very complicated when trying to compare to the West, and if Sono did things wrong then that's on him and while Japan was never like the West, it needs to modernize and if this helps it then that's a good thing. Ironically, this whole things came up because an American/Japanese actor came to Japan to take part in Sono's workshop and was so surprised by the culture shock that he made all the accusations which led to the MeToo movement now. If this American had not done it then nothing would have changed, so good on him for bringing this old country to light.

And while not defending him at all, I do personally believe he's getting attacked more than many others because he's the biggest name out there.
Knowing the Japanese indie film world and Japan as a culture, if this is happening to Sono, then a MASSIVE amount of filmmakers should be 'canceled' as well."

https://forum.blu-ra...&postcount=4144

Torel mainitsi asian myös mutkistavan tulossa olevan Suicide Club BD:n tuotantoa. Kansipaperin piirtäjä on jo sanoutunut irti työtehtävästä, eikä ekstrojen tuottaminen ole helppoa kohun keskellä. Ja vaikkei Adam asiasta maininnutkaan, niin tietysti tässä on riski että molemmat julkaisut (UK Third Windowin toimesta, USA vielä nimeämättömän firman toimesta) peruuntuvat mikäli esim. levittäjät eivät halua olla enää julkaisujen kanssa tekemisissä. Third Windowin levittäjähän on Arrow, joka cancellasi Richard Stanleyn viime vuonna. Sääli, jos niin kävisi. Sono ja muut sikailijat ansaitsevat rangaistuksensa, mutta siinä ei ole järkeä, että filmikeloja rangaistaan tai kuritetaan kollektiivisesti kaikkia niitä tuhansia näyttelijöitä, kuvaajia ja puvustajia jne. jotka ovat luoneet Sonon ja muiden syytettyjen ohjaamat elokuvat.