Press release

Selected in the ‘Ici et Ailleurs’ section of the 62 nd Film Festival Locarno

Official screening: August 11th at 4.15 pm at La Sala Second screening: August 12th at 10 pm at Rialto 3

PRESS CONTACT: IRENE RUIZ AURET Press service of the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (0034) 93 306 41 23 / Montalegre, 5, 08001 Barcelona / [email protected]

INDEX

1.- Synopsis ...... 3

2.- Directors note ...... 4

3.- Producer’s note ...... 5

4.- Biographies ...... 6

5.- Credits ...... 8

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SYNOPSIS

Isaki Lacuesta and Naomi Kawase dialogue with images through a filmed correspondence that travels between Girona (Spain) and Nara (Japan).

Isaki Lacuesta Letter 1 Naomi Kawase Letter 2 Isaki Lacuesta Letter 3

Letters that reflect their respective film-making styles, which are imbued with an intimist, thoughtful and poetic tone.

Naomi Kawase Letter 4 Isaki Lacuesta Letter 5 Naomi Kawase Letter 6

A special filmed piece created in tandem by Lacuesta and Kawase which reveals the most intimate aspects of the relationship between both film-makers who are separated by geographical distance but who work on the margins of the same aesthetic threshold.

Isaki Lacuesta P. S.

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DIRECTORS NOTE

Naomi Kawase

I met Isaki in Las Palmas in the spring of 2008. At first, he looked very serious and straight- faced, so I might have shown the cold shoulder to him since I had been pretty tired of difficult talks about film theories at that time. Some time later, I received an official invitation to the co- project of “film correspondence” with him, and I accepted it out of interest wishing getting along with him. I got fascinated with the woman in his first film, and I thought I could trust him if this woman is his girl friend. This is because what he loves most is a person close to him. And if so, I wanted to do the same back to him introducing my beloved people and place to live. It went like this, and our first two films were made. And then, the final film was to be shot in Spain, Isaki’s hometown. Unfortunately, the images on that film were not well developed, but this unhappy happening brought a tie between us. And this film describes a “story” through which we can confirm “our time,” about a year length of unrecorded moment.

Isaki Lacuesta

ENTRE DOS AGUAS "Nadar entre dos aguas" (Swimming between two waters) is a common expression in my language: it refers to someone who is compelled to move forward between two opposing tides. Maybe swimming against the tide is more impressive, because it requires courage and brute force, but children like us who grew up on the shores of a lake, learned what fun it was to swim on the tangent, to take advantage of the opposing forces and lean against them, like in surfing or judo, to do a balancing act on invisible currents, so that, from the outside, it looked as though you were simply letting yourself be carried along. Perhaps I remembered this because my correspondence with Naomi Kawase coincided with a time in my life when, after a long period, I decided to move back to my hometown, as described in one of the letters. But also because these filmed letters had no alternative but to float between Nara and Gerona, between two languages, two times, between the intimate and the public, between two timid people who, until now, have got to know each other better through our films rather than through direct contact. This is why I’d like to think that these letters represent a parenthesis. Not for nothing do we almost always have to read the freest and most spontaneous writing “between the lines”.

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PRODUCER’S NOTE

"In between days" is a filmed correspondence. It is an exchange of cinematographic letters between two film-makers who had met briefly at a festival where they were presenting their respective works. This new kind of filmed work is constructed from this vague memory of a fleeting encounter; it is a succession of images of private moments which were made before and after another meeting, this time in front of an audience at the Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona: the place that fostered this filmic initiative. The great film-makers of today are constantly investigating new expressive languages, because they know that film is at the core of our times. This work belongs to this desire to experiment and is almost a new genre: the genre of letters that cross in the post forming a sequence over different periods of time: the time of filming the first missive which marks the beginning of a random journey, the time of waiting, the time of the answer which engenders a new piece that draws on the first one and seeks another one, and finally the time of screening. Because the letters from these two film-makers, who live far away from one another but feel close, are personal but not private. They have a desire to engage the complicity of the viewer of the film, of the person who recognises in its fragility the strength of the unknown.

Jordi Balló

5 BIOGRAPHIES

Naomi Kawase (Nara, Japan, 1969)

Naomi Kawase graduated from the Osaka School of Photography (currently the School of Visual Arts Osaka) in 1989. Her original documentary films "Ni Tsutsumarete" (1992) and "Katatsumori" (1994) caught the spotlight both domestically and abroad‚ including the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1995. Kawase won the award‚ Camera D'Or‚ for her debut feature film "Suzaku" (1996) at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1997 as the youngest winner in its history. The next film "The Weald" (1997) was awarded Special Mention Prize at the Vision du Reel in 1999. "Hotaru" (2000)‚ premiered for the Competition at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland in 2000‚ was awarded two prizes‚ FIPRESCI Prize and CICAE Prize‚ as well as two additional awards‚ Best Achievement Award in Cinematography and Directing‚ and Leading Actress Award (Yuko Nakamura) at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival in 2001. Her next feature film "SHARA" (2003) was contributed to the Competition at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2003. Her latest documentary film "Tarachime" (2006) received the Special Prize at the Yamagata International Film Festival in 2007. "Mogari no Mori" (2007)‚ Japan and France joint venture and the Grand Prix winning film of the 60th Cannes International Film Festival‚ is one of her biggest successes. And it brought her another joint project (Japan, Thai and France) “Seven Nights” (2008) next year. In 2009, she contributed “KOMA” (2009) to the Digital Project of the Jeonju International Film Festival as one of the three directors most active today. Her earnest contribution to the film world was evaluated at the Cannes International Film Festival and the Carrosse D’Or was bestowed to her. At the Award Ceremony, the newly edited version of “Hotaru (Hotaru 2009 version)” was premiered.

Filmography - Representative Works

Embracing (1992) KATATSUMORI (1994) SUZAKU (1997) The Weald (1997) MANGUEKYO (1999) HOTARU (2000) Kya Ka Ra Ba A (2001) Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom (2002) SHARASOJYU (2003) KAGE -shadow- (2004) TARACHIME (2006) The Mourning Forest (Mogari no Mori) (2007) Seven Nights (2008) KOMA (2009) HOTARU2009 version(2009)

6 Isaki Lacuesta (Girona, Spain 1975)

Studied Audiovisual Communication at Barcelona’s Autonoma University, and graduated from the first edition of the Masters in the Creation of Documentaries of Pompeu Fabra University. His first feature film, Cravan vs Cravan (2002) was presented with awards in various international festivals. Spanish critics hailed it as the best first work of the year, awarding it the Sant Jordi RNE prize. Among other awards, the film received prizes for Best New Director and the Public’s Best Film at Sitges International Film Festival, in addition to the First Vitoria Award for the best new film maker in Vitoria’s New Film Makers Festival. La Leyenda del Tiempo (2006), competed in the official section of the Rotterdam Festival, and was then given awards in festivals such as Las Palmas International Film Festival (Special Judging Panel’s Prize for Best Film, and award for best actor), Nantes International Festival, Yerevan Film Festival (Armenia), Alcances Festival – Cadiz (Best Film and Best Sound awards), among others. The Catalunya Critics Association chose it as the Best Spanish Film of the year. He has also made numerous short films and installations for exhibitions, and has written various scripts for full-length feature films. Combining cinema with teaching (in Pompeu Fabra University and in the Centre of Cinematographic Studies of Catalonia, among others), he also collaborates in diverse media: writing articles about cinema, music and literature, often under different pseudonyms.

Filmography

Feature films 2009 Los condenados. Colour. (98 minutes). Competing in the official selection of the 57 th San Sebastian International Film Festival. Premiere in cinemas this coming October. 2009 Ava. Color y B/N. (In post production phase) 2006 La leyenda del tiempo ( 109 minutes) HD Colour. (copy in 35mm ) 2002 Cravan vs Cravan ( 100 minutes ).S-16 and 35mm. (copy in 35 mm) Colour and B/N

Short films / Installations 2008 Soldados anónimos. (thirty minutes) Co-directed with Pere Vilà. DV-Cam and mini DV 2008 Sol.(four minutes) 16 mm. Collective exhibition "Rastros de Chaplin" 2008 Alpha and again(lugares que no existen nº. 1). 25 minutes. Hdv. Co-directed with Isa Campo. 2008 La luz azul. Installation. Co-produced with Isa Campo. 2008 Los cuerpos translúcidos. Installation for sixteen monitors. Mini DV 2007 Marte en la Tierra.(49 minutes).Mini DV 2007 Las variaciones Marker. (25 minutes).Color y B/N 2007 Traços /traces. (10 minutes).Installation for four screens. 35 mm. S16 mm y MiniDV 2007 Dos cuentos que caben en la palma de una mano. (ten minutes) HD 2006 Saber nedar. (4 minutes).Co-directed with Pere Vilà.Super 8.Copy on video 2006 Mar Palau..(16 minutes )DV-cam. 2004 Teoria dels cossos. (5 minutes, sixteen seconds) Copy on 35 mm 2004 Esbozo.. ( 5 minutes ) Collective work. 35 mm. Copy on video. 2004 Rouch, un noir..( 5 minutes). Mini DV (Co-directed with Sergi Dies) 2003 Déjá vu 1.Paisatges que desapareixen.. ( 4 minutes) S16 mm, Copy on video 2003 Ressonàncies magnètiques.( 10 minutes) 2003 Microscopías.. ( 20 minutes). DVCAM, colour 2000 Caras vs Caras.. ( 15 minutes). 35 mm 7

CREDITS

IN BETWEEN DAYS Filmed correspondence between Isaki Lacuesta and Naomi Kawase Girona – Nara, 2008-2009 Original language of the film: Catalan/Japanese 44 minutes, Colour, HD, Spain, 2008-2009

Letter 1: From Isaki Lacuesta to Naomi Kawase “Despertar lentament” , 12’ Director: Isaki Lacuesta Excerpts from an unfinished film (2002): Photography: Diego Dussuel / Carles Mestres S-16 camera operator: Edgar Gallart Acknowledgements: Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas; Santi Fillol; Domi Parra

Letter 2: From Naomi Kawase to Isaki Lacuesta “28.08.2008 ISAKI←NAOMI ” , 4’ 30’’ Director: Naomi Kawase Performer: Mitsuki Editing: Kanae Yamauchi Production: Yuko Naito, Kumie Inc.

Letter 3: From Isaki Lacuesta to Naomi Kawase “Els ulls artificials” , 8’ 30’’ Director: Isaki Lacuesta Acknowledgements: Ajuntament de Banyoles; Núria Carreras; Mireia Llorens; Museu Darder; Georgina Gratacós; Carles Feo; Chema Rodríguez Archive footage: “Gérone, la Venise espagnole” (1912), directed by Segundo de Chomón. “Pinzellada: El Museu Darder de Banyoles” (1980), directed by Josep Maria Barbà. (Isidoro Llorca P.C.)

Letter 4: From Naomi Kawase to Isaki Lacuesta “18.09.2008 ISAKI←NAOMI ” , 5’ Director: Naomi Kawase Performers: the people around me Editing : Kanae Yamauchi Production: Yuko Naito, Kumie Inc.

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Letter 5: From Isaki Lacuesta to Naomi Kawase (Without title) Director: Isaki Lacuesta Footage taken in Banyoles (Girona) on 24th September 2008. Music: “ Sense el ressó del dring” performed by Enric Casassas and Pascal Comelade; words by Joan Salvat Papasseit. 16 mm. Acknowledgements: Diego Dussuel, Antoni Pinent, Shigeko Suzuki, Diana Toucedo, Maxi Viale.

Letter 6: From Naomi Kawase to Isaki Lacuesta “10.07.2009 ISAKI←NAOMI”, 3’19 Director: Kawase Naomi Camera: Mitsuki Music: Sanpo by Pascals Editing: Yamauchi Kanae Production: Naito Yuko, Kumie Inc.

P.S. From FAR AWAY: FAREWELL SONG Director: Isaki Lacuesta Archive footage: “Kiriki, Acrobates Japonais” (1907) directed by Segundo de Chomón Editing: Diana Toucedo Music: Skatalan Logicofobism performed by Pascals and composed by Pascal Comelade. Acknowledgements: Tusitala PC.

Delegated producer Jordi Balló

Correspondence coordination Anna Petrus / Anna Escoda – CCCB

Online editing Cristina Giribets, Eleazar Mateo, José Antonio Soria. Assisted by Maria Mallol and the CCCB Audiovisual Department

Produced by

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