“Fine,
emotive Japanese films are
usually the province of revered
Japanese directors — but Firefly
Dreams is one exception because
the writer and director is none
other than British-born, Welsh-
raised long-time ex-pat in Japan,
John Williams...” A BEAUTIFULLY-REALISED COMING-OF-AGE story filmed in modern Japan by
John Williams working with Japanese actors and crew, Firefly Dreams has
been hailed as a minor masterpiece.
Faced with his wife having an affair and worried that his daughter is staying
out late and playing truant, Hiroshi sends the sulky and rebellious 17-year-old
Naomi (perfectly played by Maho Ukai) to stay with his sister Mieko in the country
for the summer.
Naomi finds herself helping out at her aunt's hotel and is bored by the country,
away from her friend Tomoko and the excitement of Nagoya, the city where she
lives. She is unkind to her cousin Yumi and finds the guests tedious; particularly
the older men who make suggestive comments to her.
Mieko tells the young girl that it was different thirty years ago when it was
a great place to be with Geishas from Kyoto, writers and politicians.
An elderly relative, Mrs Koide (Yoshie Minami — who has roles in films
by Kurosawa and other Japanese masters to her credit), becomes ill and her memory
is failing. Although Naomi at first resentfully complies with her aunt's request
to her an eye on the fragile old lady, she becomes fascinated by Mrs Koide's
stories of her past — as a young woman full of hopes and dreams, a war
widow working in the munitions factory in Toyokawa, her love of dancing when
she lived in Tokyo and her life as an actress who was involved in a scandal
when she was betrayed by her film director lover.
Naomi is enthralled by the story and discovers old photographs of the beautiful
young film star and it is all the more poignant when the teenager has a brief
affair with a local delivery boy, Masaru, who takes her to an abandoned movie
theatre.
Naomi is devastated when Mrs Koide dies and then her father commits suicide.
She returns to Nagoya a different person. She tries to tackle the deep feelings
of resentment she has towards her mother and she seeks out Mrs Koide's movie,
The Valley Of The Fireflies. Through Mrs Koide, she has begun to get her life
back into perspective.
The superbly filmed and underrated Firefly Dreams is a fascinating look
at Japan from the perspective of a sulky teenager, contrasting her life against
that of her elderly relative whom she comes to love.
A delightful story, Firefly Dreams features engrossing performances by
the two female leads against a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery in an area
rich with natural beauty, interesting folklore and history.
Called The Most Beautiful Summer in Japan — because there were two
other films with 'Firefly' in the title at the time it was released — Firefly
Dreams is beautifully filmed by Yoshinobu Hayano and delicately edited by
John Williams himself, who wrote the succinct script. Paul Rowe's guitar score
is haunting and effective. The film has won awards in several international
film festivals, including Best Feature at Hawaii, Best Film at Manila, Audience
Award at San Jose and Netpac Special Mention at Karlovy Vary. The film's Executive
Producer is Maryann Manelskiand and Firefly Dreams is Produced by Steven Haas.
Having lived in Japan for twelve years, John Williams makes excellent uses his
experience and knowledge of Japanese culture. In Japan, the firefly is a symbol
of the transience of life. The dyed blonde schoolgirl look was in fashion around
the time the film was shot in 2000. At that time there was much concern over
truancy and the growing awareness of freedom of the young. John also glosses
over the appeal for young girls to earn money by selling nude photographs of
themselves. The sex industry in Japan is very big and the temptations higher
than anywhere else.
Using 21-year-old Maho Ukai to play Naomi is a masterstroke in itself —
she plays the 17-year-old in the throes of teen angst to perfection. Also notable
are the shots that the cinematographer and John have framed to great effect.
Firefly Dreams is a 100 Metre Films Production and is released on DVD
in the UK and Ireland by Stoney Road Films. Since Firefly Dreams, John
Williams has made one more Japanese film, the atmospheric horror film Starfish
Hotel.
• Firefly Dreams will be released in
April, 2009. Running Time: 100 Minutes | Dolby SR | Language: Japanese With
English Subtitles.
"…something like a minor masterpiece…" — New York Herald Tribune
"…a fine firm directorial eye and a pair of astutely crafted perfs" —
Variety
"The superbly filmed and underrated Firefly Dreams is a fascinating look
at Japan from the perspective of a sulky teenager, contrasting her life against
that of her elderly relative whom she comes to love" — Maggie Woods,
MotorBar
“Fine,
emotive Japanese films are