By: Laura Duquette
Guest Editor: Vincent Sherry
Japan native Yuichiro Yamada is a filmmaker living in Buffalo while he produces documentaries on independent-business owners as active community members braving problems. Three will screen at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center on Monday.
Yuichiro’s films, “Just Browsing,” “Irreplaceable” and “Time to Dance,” were completed in summer 2009 and screened last September in collaboration with Talking Leaves Books and Hallwalls. “Just Browsing” takes a look at Buffalo booksellers, such as Talking Leaves, Second Reader Book Shop and Rust Belt Books. “Irreplaceable” documented the closing of beloved music shop New World Record. “Time to Dance” follows University at Buffalo dance professor Melanie Aceto as she choreographs a piece for a Zodiaque Dance Company concert.
Yuichiro is already making three soon-to-be-released films and hopes feedback from Monday’s screening will aid production and editing.
Buffalo Rising: Do you still identify yourself as from Japan, and how do you feel about living in Buffalo?
Yuichiro Yamada: Yes, I do. Buffalo is my second hometown now, but I still identify myself as someone from Japan.
Buffalo is a struggling city. When I came to Buffalo in 2007, I asked some students about Buffalo, and I figured out that many people have a negative opinion of the city today. So I was worried about my life here because my program in media study was three years long. I tried to find something good and unique in Buffalo so I could love it. I found Talking Leaves. I thought people there had a different quality of life from a majority of people. They care about books, but also they care about a face-to-face human relationship. We are losing the intimacy with Internet culture. I used to live in Kyoto. Kyoto is beautiful, old city in Japan, but it changes very quick. If people focus on only money and convenience, a city loses its identity. I think that the subjects which I focused on in my documentaries creates the identity of Buffalo.
BR: Did you enjoy your schooling? If you had to name two things that you took away from the program at UB, what would they be?
YY: I don’t know about other schools, but I had a great time in UB media study. I appreciate my professors and friends. I’d recommend taking the Movement Documentation class taught by professor Elliot Caplan and Advance Documentary taught by professor Sarah Elder. I also learned a lot from my friend, Tim Gera.
BR: Do you think your law degree lends itself to filmmaking? For instance, have you ever run into a legal issue during filming?
YY: I hope so, but I don’t think about it very much. So far, I haven’t run into any issues. But when I went to film New World Record, it was very hard time for Govindan (Kartha), the owner of NWR, because he just decided to close their store. So I was not sure whether I could keep filming for my project or not at that time. However, it was good for both of us. I appreciated his kindness.
BR: Why are you so interested in Buffalo small businesses?
YY: Because they are very nice. I wanted to make good friends through my documentary. Also, I needed to find somebody who can take time to understand my poor English for making a documentary.
BR: How did you choose your subjects, given that there are so many business owners in this city?
YY: I was interested in the role of Talking Leaves in the Buffalo community because many people go online or a big chain store to get a book today, and I thought it’s difficult for them to keep the doors open. Also, if you are from a different city, it is easy to tell how unique and great Talking Leaves is. The reason why I went to New World Record is because the Talking Leaves staff recommended I go there. It proved important to document it, because the role New World Record had in the Buffalo community was huge too.
BR: You’ve been awarded a triple screening. What’s the length of each film, and do you believe they work congruently?
YY: “Just Browsing” is 33 minutes, “Irreplaceable” is 24 minutes and “Time to Dance” is 46 minutes long. I’m not sure they work congruently, but every documentary is made in Buffalo. I hope people enjoy them.
BR: Is there a lesson to be learned or some sort of overarching theme to each film? Is there a broader subject matter that you feel is worth discussing?
YY: I hope people just enjoy my documentaries from their point of view. And I hope people tell me other things about Buffalo’s identity after the screening. That is what I want to know. The buffalo animal was an endangered species in the history of the U.S. because people killed them without thinking, and now the City of Buffalo seems to be endangered. I hope people realize many great things happen here and it’s worth our time to support this community.
Yuichiro Yamada Screening
Monday at 7 p.m.
$8 general, $6 for students and seniors, $5 for Hallwalls and Talking Leaves members
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
341 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 854-1694
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Laura Duquette is a former ballerina who now dances with words
and punctuation. She has a knack for asking questions faster than the
speed of sound, and her interviews are often off the cuff and personal.
She is Co-Owner of 12 Grain
Studio, a Buffalo based creative firm that gives typical web design a
kick in the ass.
a Buffalo native, is a freelance reporter and copy editor. He also tutors second-language learners of
English. He graduated from Howard University in 2007.