RYŌ KASE

MINAMATA (2021)
Starring Johnny Depp, Minami, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bill Nighy, Jun Kunimura, Ryō Kase, Tadanobu Asano, Akiko Iwase, Katherine Jenkins and Lily Robinson. Directed by Andrew Levitas.

New York, 1971. Following his celebrated days as one of the most revered photojournalists of World War II, W. Eugene Smith has become a recluse, disconnected from society and his career. Bu a secret commission from Life Magazine editor Robert Hayes sends him to the Japanese coastal city of Minamata, which has been ravaged by mercury poisoning; the result of decades of gross industrial negligence by the country’s Chisso Corporation.

There, Smith immerses himself in the community, documenting their efforts to live with Minamata Disease and their passionate campaign to achieve recognition from Chisso and the Japanese Government. Armed only with his trusted camera, Smith’s images from the toxic village give the disaster a heartbreaking human dimension, and his initial assignment turns into a life-changing experience.

SILENCE (2017)
Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Yosuke Kubozuka, Tadanobu Asano, Issei Ogata, Shinya Tsukamoto, Ryô Kase, Nana Komatsu and Yoshi Oida. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

An adaptation of the Shusaku Endo novel about 17th century Jesuits who risk their lives to bring Christianity to Japan.

REVIEWS Silence - Scorsese's meditation on the nature of faith