Symphony in August
The15th Lyon Asian Film Festival (November 3 to 8,2009)Nominated for Official Competition!
Very impressive film based on the real story
Ai, a 16 year old girl, promised her mother to make her dream come true, and came to Tokyo alone at the time of high school entrance.With no friends and no support in Tokyo, she started with the street performances. Her steady activities finally led a miracle in the summer of 2003…
a popular singer-songwriteramong young people in Japan.She is a young and energetic girl. But people scarcely know the harsh environment of her life.
"Symphony in August" is based on her autobiography "Saigo no Kotoba" ("The Last Words"). Director and the scenario writer is Akio Nishizawa, who won the various prizes in overseas film festivals.
Director Nishizawa represented the founder of "Tsugaru-shamisen" (a shamisen is a Japanese traditional three-stringed musical instrument) in his first work "NITABOH", and he chose "Doyo" (Japanese traditional children's songs) as a motif in the second work "Furusato- JAPAN."Both of works are highly evaluated among the International Film Festivals and also won the Grand Prizes.
This time he focused on Ai Kawashima's songs which include her strong messages for people of today, and succeed to complete a very impressive film which consists of the celluloid pictures, computer graphics and video recorded tape.
The time is in 2002 - 2003 in Shibuya, the play town of young men. He represents the human relationships, the bond of Ai and her mother, heart-warming communication with young guys who strived to realize her dream.
