ラッパー、音楽プロデューサーとして活躍するカニエ・ウエストが世界中を飛び回り、初の監督となる映画化作品を本日（2010年10月8日）東京でも特別上映が行われた。パリを皮切りに、ロンドン、東京と世界中を飛び回り、明日にはまた他国へと。それにしても貴重すぎたフライデーナイト。新曲「RUNAWAY」のために自らが監督を務め40分にも及ぶ興味深いストーリーとなっている。公開直前、カニエ本人がステージに現れ、自らの声で説明を行った。
突然地球に現れたフェニックス（火の鳥）という名の1人の少女と、カニエ・ウエストとの恋愛物語とでも言わせていただこう。恋愛物語と聞くと、ちょっと単純なイメージをしがちだが、実際そうではない。奥深く、コンセプチャルで、多くのメッセージが込められている。また、カニエ自身のこれまでのキャリアにもリンクしていて捉え方次第で自身にも伝わるものが。そして、何よりも新作の「RUNAWAY」、心が揺さぶられるとはこのことか。ここから先の物語は会場で。(PREVIEW HERE.)
上映終了後「カニエ 対 鑑賞者」による質問コーナーまでもが設けられていた。映画のストーリーについて問いかける人もいれば、突然地球に現れたフェニックスについて、などお題は色々。そんな中、カニエは、語りはじめた。個人的に耳に残っているのは、「Q. フェニックスを演じた女性はどこで探してきたのですか？」という質問に対してカニエは、「A. ヴィクトリア・シークレットのモデルだよ。 」とギャグ混じりで答えた。なぜだか笑えた。彼女の名前はエンジェル、セリータ・エバンクス。他にもファニーなやり取りはあったが、この変で幕を閉じたいと思う。
もう１つだけ記録として残すなら、彼は今後も映画製作を続けて行くことを明かし、数週間後には、製作技術を学ぶため脚本家・映画監督のジョージ・ルーカスに会いに行くことを教えてくれた。そして、オリジナル版スターウォーズで使用されたローファイ技術への興味も示してくれた。。CHECK IT OUT KANYE WEST WEBSITE
Fresh of screenings in Paris and New York, Kanye West brought his epic 40 minute film to Tokyo Friday night. Taking to the stage to introduce the film, Kanye explained how much of an influence Tokyo had been in the film making process with memories of making the STRONGER video back in 2007. That, and the fact he has good friends here were the reasons he felt he had to show it here before it makes it’s world premiere across multiple channels in the next fortnight.
I don’t want to give too much away about the film itself, 12 tracks from Kanyes upcoming album feature throughout the film in both full length and remixed form. It’s the story of a phoenix (played by model Selita Ebanks ) who falls to earth and becomes Kanyes girlfriend. After learning the nature of his world she has no choice but to fly back to her own. It’s a surreal mix of images and metaphors from Kanye’s experiences and dreams with little post-production and clothes and costumes by Philip Lim. Kanye took on the job of directing the film himself after multiple directors told him ‘that’s not the way things should be done’. The question and answer session Kanye gave after the screening was more to do with the process of making the film than the content and meaning of the film itself. Kanye revealed he will be making more films in the future and he is going to be meeting with George Lucas in the coming weeks to learn more about production techniques. He prefers the low-fi in camera techniques used in the original Star Wars movies than to the modern CGI monsters made today. I asked Kanye why he felt the need to get the film out so quickly (it was filmed in August). He said he wanted to get his message out there as quickly as possible, earlier in the evening he had said we only have 80 or 90 years in this world in which to achieve what we want to achieve. So often in society ideas of what is right or wrong, good or bad etc. are what hold us back, he is reaching beyond that and creating what he wants to create and wants others to feel the same.
Kanye asked me what my favorite part of the film was, it was a scene in which a boy holding a red smoke flare runs towards the camera as a carnival like procession with a huge sculpture of Michael Jacksons head moves by, in the next scene the kid is wearing a red KKK hood. This is Kanyes metaphor for popular culture and the way in which children are conditioned in how to think. Kanye is on a quest to return to the mentality of a 5 year old, to think how he thought before he was taught how he was supposed to think. He alluded to this talking about the MTV incident last year, saying that’s something a 5 year old would do. I agree, it’s not something that was right by adult standards but that doesn’t necessarily make it wrong.
I’ve met Kanye a couple of times now. He always pays a lot of attention to what other people say and is genuinely interested in what you think. I find his energy coupled with his current frame of mind an inspiration. ‘RUNAWAY’ will be premiered globally in the next couple of weeks, tomorrow Kanye is flying to Sydney to show the film there. For free music every Friday, hit up Kanyes website.