"Symbol" Hitoshi Matsumoto

Hi ,

Just entered home from another movie - evening, we have a film festival going on now, you know...
No, surely I'm not in Cannes , a bit too late you would have said..
I'm in my hometown , and maybe not much of you know about Odessa (Ukraine) but I'm really happy that we have our second film festival after 22 year of silence.. The first one was held in 1988, the year of my birth...
All this stuff about the red carpet (don't laugh but we had it) interested me less of all, but the perspective to see some really good films. Sincerely, I didn't expect much avantgarde or arthouse , though today I've seen a great surrealistic film , which makes me say "wow". http://symbol-movie.jp/

going out from the movie hall I've discussed a film with my friend and it seemed to me that it won't be even sold, or layed out in internet , as the story : a young men who touches thousands of tiny penises on the walls and they realise his wishes - ehhmmmm ..... it was funny and very sweet, but I don't believe it can be bought... A great symbolic sense which lies between the lines, as for me, is not accessible even for the tenth part of the people who'll see it...

How surprised was I when searching on internet some pics from the film the first I've found was a webpage that told that the costume of the main hero is furnished by a famous japanese Brand BATHING APE or BAPE ,(some links for you: http://hollars-dollars.com/a-bathing-ape-x-symbol/ , http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2009/08/24/symbol-x-a-bathing-ape-collection/) and further more - it was created a collection of T-shirts and accessories after the film...

At that moment I've remembered my sociology professor who said that the the logic of fashion penetrates everywhere , and from now even in the most poorly commercial movie I've maybe ever seen ... It makes me think about this phenomen and I ask myself what whas the brand thinking of creating pieces regarding this film.. Or was a whole film, a whole story, a whole phylosophical way we've made created only to promote a pijama? can we understand now really what was the archi-reason of all that stuff? ...


A symbol of phallus and a thought that it's a the most ancient symbol of fertility and continuation of humanity - today becomes a symbol of death and of the end. I really liked this idea... The more we know - less we sleep, less we live, less we enjoy.. Maybe a message is to return to a more simple and naive life, I don't know.. If you have thoughts about just comment , I would be glad to know any opinion..

Anyway, worth seeing.