The Short Films

I definitely wouldn't call myself an art aficionado^★. In fact, I have only visited the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art Art twice in the last ten years, been to the Makomanai Art Park (Geijutsu no mori) just once in my entire time in Hokkaido, and despite living only five minute walk from Nakajima Park, I have never seen a performance inside Kitara Concert Hall.

However, like many people I do enjoy a good film. On average, I watch three or four full-length movies a week. Between the video rental store down the road, my own collection and the new streaming service Netflix, I have a steady supply from which to choose. But for a change of pace, I really enjoy short films, which differ greatly from feature films not only in length but always content and style. And so, I am really looking forward to attending the Sapporo International Short Film Fest 2015 this month (October 7-12). This year marks the festival's 10th anniversary of showcasing^★ some of the best Japanese and international short films.

Short films can be far more entertaining than full-length feature films because they are often quirky. The filmmakers have more freedom to experiment with techniques and artistic styles, and the results can range from the weird to the wonderful. In fact, I've often turned to friends at the end of a short film and asked, "What WAS that?" In a similar way, there is always an element of surprise with short films because unlike Hollywood blockbusters^_★ there is basically no promotion for individual films. As a result, the audience has little idea about what to expect. Will it be a comedy or a serious drama? Who are the main characters? What is the story about? What country is it from? This last question touches on yet another reason that short films are great. Through them, we gain a glimpse^★ into the people's lives and culture in other countries. One showing generally includes seven or eight films, so in an evening we might see films from the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Korea, Spain and elsewhere. You won't get such a multicultural experience many other places...and you can also practice using your English!

So for a night of entertainment with an eclectic mix of stories from around the world, check out the link below.
http://sapporoshortfest.jp/

Adrian

～～～これ知ってた？～～～

★Aficionado=　熱狂的ファンの意味。　ここでは、「Art aficionado」＝芸術/アート好き　という意味です。　映画好きなら「Film aficionado」といえます＾＾

★Showcase=　日本語でもよく耳にする、陳列棚の意味のショーケースですが、ここでは動詞として活用しています。　動詞の「Showcase」には紹介する・展示する・披露する、のような意味もあります。　「今年映画祭は短編邦画・国際映画を披露して10周年」と訳せますね。

★Blockbuster=　大ヒット作。　ここでは「Hollywood blockbusters」と言っているので、「ハリウッド超大作」という意味です。

★Glimpse= ひとめ、ちらっと見えること。　「映画を通して他国の人々の生活や文化を垣間見ることができる」ということですね！　「Glimpse」の他にも、「Glance」や「Peek」なども類義語で、よく会話や文書で見かけます。一緒に関連付けて覚えちゃいましょう（＾ｕ＾）