The 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival opened Saturday with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama praising movies for playing a better role than politics in connecting people with people as well as with nature.
‘‘As I was walking up the green carpet on Roppongi Hills’ Keyakizaka just now, I felt as if I had become a movie star,’’ Hatoyama said at a star-studded ceremony to kick off the annual gala. ‘‘I really felt it surely must be good to be a movie star.’’
Hatoyama, accompanied by his wife Miyuki, was among guests from around the world who walked the ‘‘green carpet’’ made from recycled plastic bottles ahead of the opening ceremony at Roppongi Hills.
With organizers promoting the theme of ecology for the second straight year, the green carpet was used instead of the traditional red carpet again and green energy will be used for all screenings during the nine-day event.
‘‘I want to cherish the word ‘yu-ai’ and I believe the role of connecting people’s hearts is apparently conveyed much better by movies rather than politics,’’ Hatoyama said, referring to the spirit of fraternity which he advocates.
‘‘Ecology is something that seeks to form bonds between nature and people’s hearts, and I want to do my best (toward that end) in the world of politics. But I think movies are far better at changing people’s consciousness,’’ he said.
The ceremony was followed by the world premiere of ‘‘Oceans,’’ a French documentary about the rarely seen marine world by nature documentary maestro Jacques Perrin, as well as a footage screening of U.S. science fiction adventure movie ‘‘Avatar’’ by ‘‘Titanic’’ director James Cameron, set to be released in many parts of the world in December.
About 270 films will be shown at venues in the Roppongi Hills area in Minato Ward, leading up to the festival’s closing film ‘‘Up’‘—Disney/Pixar’s three-dimensional animation film.
Organizers have reversed their earlier decision not to screen the U.S. film ‘‘The Cove,’’ an investigative documentary about dolphin hunting in Japan, and are scheduled to show it to the general public next Wednesday.
Among the 15 films entered in the main competition section are Japanese film ‘‘Acacia’’ directed by Jinsei Tsuji and starring former pro-wrestler and lawmaker Antonio Inoki in his first leading role, Polish crime drama ‘‘The Dark Horse’’ and ‘‘Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting,’’ a Chinese film about an orphaned girl’s coming of age.
The winners will be selected by an international jury headed by Mexican-born director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, winner of the best director award for his film ‘‘Babel’’ at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2006, who expressed hope that the Tokyo event will help ‘‘expand the fraternity’’ mentioned by Hatoyama.
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