Work on the Grass

We reach ASWARA (FORMALLY KNOWN AS ask, Akedemi Seni Kebangsaan) at 8.30pmfor the talk by Mr. SHINOHARA Tetsuo, the director of “Inochi” and “Heaven’s Bookstore”. Bernard Chauly, the director of Gol Dan Gincu was there at the talk too. The event started by showing us Mr. Shinohara Tetsuo’s 1st film that he wrote and directed, which was Work on the Grass. Starring Naoki Goto and Hikari Ota.

[Synopsis: Two field workers--one experienced, the other an aspiring writer--spend spend a hot summer day cutting a vast expanse of tall grass. The two men clash hen the novice begins botching the job. Eventually, through an exchange of stories during their lunch break, the two achieve a rapprochement that has ambiguous sexual overtones.]

It’s a nice movie, with lots of close up shots and there are certain parts in the movie that was quite funny. It’s suppose to be a Japanese comedy, but we only laugh 3 times at 3 scenes, that also only when people start laughing then only we laugh (not to say that it’s not funny, but it’s just that maybe we were a bit slow in catching what the Japanese were saying in the movie) There were only 2 characters in the movie, 2 Japanese lawnmower, an experience one and the other not. The movie shows the relationship between the 2 men from the beginning of the movie, which they barely know each other until the ending of the movie that shows that they were closer and more comfortable with working and conversing with each other. There was even one part where the 2 men were so close to each other… I really though they were going to kiss. Haha... they didn’t la of course.

So after the movie was showed, it was the Q & A session. About the movie Work on the Grass, Mr. Shinohara Tetsuo said that there were other sponsors coming in for him to produce this movie, but he chooses to do it in his own funding and budget. He implied that he used to work part time jobs when he was a student and he wanted to show the experience he has gone through in this movie. After this movie, was release back in year 1993, the public started to question him, asking if he was gay. (He’s a straight guy) If he was given a choice to re-shoot the movie again, he would do it in another different way. More about Mr. Shinohara Tetsuo himself; he studied and graduated Law in a law school but had never been a lawyer before. He became an assistant director for 10 years before he became a director himself.