Tokyo Olympics documentary directed by Kawase screened at Cannes

By Takuya Matsuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:30 JST, May 27, 2022

CANNES, France — The first half of the official documentary of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, directed by Naomi Kawase, was screened at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France on Wednesday night.

“I hope members of the audience can feel that sports empower us to overcome many difficulties and give us hope and courage,” Kawase said at Cannes.

After the documentary, titled “Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side A,” had its world premier in the classics division of the film festival, the 52-year-old director expressed her joy to the Japanese media. “It’s been five years since I last visited Cannes. I’m really happy to be back, especially after the coronavirus pandemic prevented me from coming here,” she said.

The documentary is a two-part series. “Side A,” which depicts the Olympics through the eyes of athletes and others directly involved in the Olympics, is set to be released in Japan on June 3. Showings for “Side B,” which takes on the perspectives of volunteers and ordinary citizens, are scheduled to start on June 24.