'Turkish Film Week' held in Tokyo

Turkey and Japan have accelerated their cultural activities to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of their bilateral diplomatic relations.

The Embassy organized a "Turkish Film Week" event at the famous Toei Cinemas in the Ginza district of the capital.

Turkey's Ambassador to Tokyo, Korkut Güngen, in his speech at the cinema hall before the first film screening, expressed his condolences to those who lost their lives in the earthquakes that occurred on the Noto Peninsula in Japan at the beginning of January.

Güngen stated that they wish for the wounds of the earthquake victims to be healed as soon as possible and that Turkey is ready to provide any support needed.

Touching upon the importance of the "Turkish Film Week" event, Güngen stated that they organized the program to mark the 100th anniversary of the Turkey-Japan diplomatic relations established in 1924.

'THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY'

Güngen said, "We want to support our existing friendly relations with Japan with increasing cooperation, including in the fields of economy, science and technology, tourism, culture, and education. The 100th anniversary of our diplomatic relations is an important opportunity."

In this context, highlighting the importance of Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa's visit to Turkey this month, Güngen said, "Our lands, where East meets West, are one of the cradles of civilizations. It is a center of attraction in the world with its rich and deep history and culture."

Explaining the history of cinema in Turkey to the audience and stating that they will introduce different aspects of Turkey throughout the film week, Güngen used the expression, "We will sometimes move you, sometimes make you laugh, and sometimes make you think. Our goal is to leave a pleasant impression."

'THE TIES BETWEEN TURKEY AND JAPAN ARE NOT JUST A MEMORY FROM THE PAST'

Yamamoto Kanae, Deputy Secretary-General of the Japan-Turkey Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and a member of the House of Councillors of Japan, also touched upon the earthquakes in her speech.

Noting that they received a message of condolence from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the Noto Peninsula earthquakes, Yamamoto said that the Japanese government is working for the recovery and reconstruction of the region.

Yamamoto expressed her gratitude to the Turks living in Japan for serving hot meals to earthquake victims in the disaster areas on the Noto Peninsula.

Stating that she hopes for the deepening of Japan-Turkey relations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Yamamoto said, "The ties between Turkey and Japan are not just a memory from the past; they are alive and standing today."

Noting that she had the opportunity to watch many Turkish films during her time in Turkey, Yamamoto said, "I was particularly impressed by the film 'The Bandit' (Eşkıya); it was a high-quality film," and added that she celebrates the Turkish Film Week.

'HOMECOMING' FILM SCREENED

The event held at the Toei Cinemas in the Ginza district of the capital began with the screening of the 2019 film "Homecoming" (Yuvaya Dönüş).

Until January 28, the films "Plane Tree" (Çınar Ağacı) from 2011, "The Butterfly's Dream" (Kelebeğin Rüyası) from 2013, "Whisper If I Forget" (Unutursam Fısılda) from 2014, and "Nadide Life" (Nadide Hayat) from 2015 will be presented to the audience in sequence.