Sunday, December 18, 2011

Watching the news yesterday about coffins being needed for the dead in Typhoon "Sendong" (international name WASHI)-affected Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, I played again the Oscar-winning Japanese film "Departures". It seemed fitting if only to allay my sadness inspite of the nature of its subject.

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6 comments:

  1. CatH \(^_^)/December 18, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Departures (おくりびと, Okuribito) is a 2008 Japanese film by Yōjirō Takita.
    It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Oscars in 2009 (from wiki).



    I was going to put a separate entry reviewing the film and thanking Doc Philip for the copy he gave me (as I had missed watching this in the Eiga Sai festival)...but just watching again the newsclips now of CDO and Iligan, made me decide to post a note for now.

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  2. CatH \(^_^)/December 18, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    Regardless that it deals with encoffination, there were times in the film when I certainly couldn't stop myself and giggled over the rituals of preparing the dead (those who saw the film will get my drift and will hopefully forgive me my lapses as I think it provided alleviation for the seriousness of a social statement ..and yes meron din nga pero baka nga lang sa mga Jap people who are familiar with the message).

    It sort of surprised me..though I do not have a logical basis -
    I thought the Japanese would not treat encoffineer (is that the term? maybe we are more familiar if I say undertaker?) the way the India caste system resulted in treating burakumin (the caste who handle the dead or "unclean" tasks) as an unclean occupation.

    While more practical folks may say its only the body left - a shell of the person who has gone ahead of us on another trip - it is much harder for the people left behind by a loved one.

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  3. dr.philip del carmenDecember 19, 2011 at 12:25 AM

    what i did like about this film was learning their custom of caring for the dead...i found it ceremonius & informative , yet very moving solemn & dignified.
    a very good film.

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  4. CatH \(^_^)/December 19, 2011 at 12:46 AM

    ganon usually pag mga Eiga Sai na entries....iba talaga how they approach it...

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  5. louella alixDecember 19, 2011 at 3:57 AM

    My daughters and I are starting an underwear fund for the victims in Mindanao. My group did this before for the Ormoc victims.

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  6. CatH \(^_^)/December 19, 2011 at 4:08 AM

    thats a good idea..disposable?

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