Miyuki Sohara
People
I wanted to complete this documentary in order to
clear up misunderstandings about the geisha community
Miyuki Sohara Based in Los Angeles and Japan, she has 13 years of experience as a TV announcer and a radio DJ in Japan and the US. Following a stint at Dentsu Tec, Inc. a major production company in Japan, Miyuki produced, coordinated and consulted on many events and plays as well as both short and feature length films. Miyuki studied classical ballet from a very young age and mastered many other dance disciplines from ballroom dancing, in which she has won national level competitions, to traditional Japanese dance.
“Hannari –Geisha Modern” might be the first documentary which really penetrates the mysterious world of geisha and depicts its beauty. The director, Miyuki Sohara, hides a strong will behind her graceful attitude. Before the screening of the documentary at the United Nations, she shared how sincerely and passionately she feels about geisha culture.
What motivated you to make this documentary?
I am a Los Angeles based actress, and I’ve often been cast as geisha. For playing a geisha part, I felt I had to know more about it and I did research on how they live and how they behave through many films and documentaries. However, every time I saw them I felt that there was something wrong with the depiction of geisha. Meanwhile, I studied Japanese dancing but I was aware that it was also slightly different from the dances of geisha. This made me wonder who geisha are and what their world are like, and I decided to go to Kyoto and explore their ways of living from the inside. In fact, I think almost 99% of Japanese have never been to ochaya (places geisha and maiko perform for private parties).
That might be true. I’ve never seen them, to be honest. But how did your curiosity about the geisha community turn into the making of a film?
First of all, I read a story about a geisha called Oyuki who married a nephew of J.P. Morgan 100 years ago. It really opened my eyes to Inoue-ryu geisha dance, which is the predominant style in Gion, where Oyuki lived. I was motivated to learn the dance. You might not be aware of this, but it’s extremely difficult for people outside the geisha community to take even one dance lesson. Luckily, I found some people who had connections to the school, and I contacted them to explain my passion. Finally they understood my pure intentions and allowed me to take lessons. Then, I was able to be exposed to the real geisha world. Taking dancing lessons with them and watching their performances, I was amazed by their sophisticated beauty and sincere attitude toward geisha dancing as an art form, and it reassured me that this is an art that Japanese women should be proud of. I would say this was the turning point that made me decide to make a film about the real geisha world, which has more than 360 years of history.
The documentary shows the extensive world of geisha communities. For example, you brought your camera into kimono and obi-makers in Kyoto.
The geisha communities cannot exist without beautiful wardrobes and accessories made by artisans. I believe it’s important to show how the artisans work because they are a part of geisha community. At the same time, I wanted to raise the issue of what the artisans are currently confronting. They are all aging but can find only a few successors. There is little demand for their products, so it’s really hard for them to protect the artisanry and hand it down to the future. I do wish it would last for generations.
As an actress-turned-director, was it difficult to direct a documentary film?
Since I once worked in a TV station before I became an actress, I was familiar with making TV programs. Writing, shooting, editing…; I had experienced all of this so I did not have to strain myself. As opposed to saying, “I am the film director!” it was more natural to say, “I am a coordinator.” Thankfully, there were many professionals in Hollywood who understood and agreed with my intention to show traditional Japanese culture CORRECTLY to the world. This film could never have been completed without their help. I find it interesting that many of my crew are female and they are actually my friends from “Mom’s Circle.”
So, you are a mom/actress/director!
Yes. I delivered two babies while making this film from research period to completion.
How long did it take?
About five years.
What was the hardest part?
I would say pre-production. Negotiating to bring a camera to Hanamachi in Kyoto is extremely tough. As I mentioned before, it is very hard to get permission just to take a dance lesson there, so to get permission to shoot is even more difficult. I flew from Los Angeles to Kyoto many times to explain my true intentions and allow me to earn their trust. Aside from that, getting funded required a lot of effort. I almost gave up, to tell you the truth. But when an article that came out in the Los Angeles Times infuriated me, my sense of justice was ingnited. It wrote that the Miyako Odori dance was used to celebrate the Nanking Massacre, which is not true. So this encouraged me to complete this documentary and clear up the misunderstanding, even if I had to pay out of my pocket.
How is the audience reception?
It’s well received. The tickets are sold out most of the time. It is ironic that many producers who rejected my proposal said, “This project would not attract many audiences. Nobody wants to see a documentary about such a traditional thing.” But it turned out that many people want to learn about this kind of traditional world.
By the way, this Chopsticks New York issue’s theme is “Japanese Cinema”. What is your favorite Japanese film?
Hmm, I was a big fan of Momoe Yamaguchi. I remember watching a series of Momoe-chan movies when I was in kindergarten. I was precocious. [laughs]
Like Shiosai (Sound of Waves)?
Yes, yes. Like Izu no Odoriko (The Dancing Girl of Izu) or I don’t remember the title, but something about Noh dance. Since I practiced ballet dancing when I was a child, I loved to watch movies related to dance. It’s not a Japanese film, but the movie Autumn Story, which is about life of a ballet dancer, moved me. Oh, I think I should mention that I did love Grease 2 and watched it again and again. The actor who played the protagonist in the movie, Maxwell Caulfield, did the narration for Hannari.
Your dream came true then.
Indeed. [Laughs]
—- Interview by Noriko Komura
-Terminology-
Hannari: An adjective meaning elegant or graceful.
Geisha: This word consists of two characters, “gei” and “sha,” meaning “art” and “person” respectively. In a broad sense, “geisha” refers to a person who has superlative performance skills. But the word geisha is often used to refer to women who acquire specific types of traditional performing arts skills.
Geiko: Another way of saying geisha. In Kyoto, this is more commonly used than geisha.
Maiko: An apprentice geisha (literal translation is “dancing girl”)
Hanamachi: Geisha district in Kyoto which has okiya and theaters.
Miyako Odori: Original dance performed by geiko in Gion, Kyoto. It started in 1872 to support prosperity of the city of Kyoto and in only performed during the month of April each year.
Hannari – Geisha Modern (2006)
Documentary depicting the lives of 21-century geisha from the inside; footage of dancing lessons and learning geisha manners intertwines with interviews of maiko, active geisha, and retired geisha. It culminates in the gorgeous performance of Miyako Odori. The documentary also deals with the people who support the geisha business such as teachers at prestigious dancing Schools and artisans making kimono, obi, and accessories. It is the most comprehensive and informative film about geisha in modern times.
Producer/Director/Writer: Miyuki Sohara
Producer/Writer: Kentaro Kajino
Co-Producers: Matt Temple, Takako Ishikawa, Mizuho Osawa
www.hannari.info
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