Tag - benshi

 
 

BENSHI

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 5, 2019
'Talking the Pictures': Talking up the magic of silent films
Masayuki Suo's comedy celebrates a bygone era of Japanese silent films and live narrators.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2016
When to speak and when to shut up: the art of a Japanese 'benshi'
The silent films screened in Japan from the 1920s to '40s were never completely silent. Katsudo-shashin benshi, or benshi for short, delivered live narration that provided everything an audience might need to appreciate a film — from commentary to translation. Derived from Japan's many narrative art forms, benshi were an effective way to introduce cinema to Japanese audiences.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Dec 25, 2012
Benshi Midori Sawato
Midori Sawato is a benshi, a unique kind of performer who provides live narration to silent films at the movie theater. The benshi brings the characters in films alive using different voices and vocal expressions. They sit to the side of the screen, watching the movie with the audience and using their versatility and talent to act out each character. Benshi often work with a small orchestra, which provides the musical accompaniment. In Japan, there are probably 10 benshi still active and Sawato is by far the most famous among them. For her fantastic performances she has received many accolades, among them the Japan Film Pen Club Prize in 1990, The Japan Movie Critics Award Golden Glory Prize in 1995, and in 2002 the Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs' National Arts Festival Award. In 2010 she was named Master of Sound by the Japan Audio Society. Sawato's repertoire includes more than 500 of the greatest silent films from all over the world. This year, she celebrates 40 years of acting and will share some of her favorite roles in a keenly awaited performance at 6 p.m. on Dec. 29 at Kinokuniya Hall in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.

Longform

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