Behind Forgotten Eyes: Director Interview

By Daniel Ostrander

The documentarian has long been a noble profession, taking up the difficult task of shining a light on the dark corners of history. However, since the alchemists in Hollywood found a way to turn these nuggets of inconvenient truth into box office gold, there have been queues of film students lining up to turn a profit on someone else's pain. Which is why it was so refreshing to meet Anthony Gilmore of Nameless Films, whose documentary Behind Forgotten Eyes is screening for the first time in Japan this month. Nameless has a different system than most production companies: it works almost completely with volunteers.

As Antony readily admits, "This isn't like a gig or a paying job. Sometimes there's no money, sometimes there is. Most times, there isn't... but when you have a story so important that it has to be told, it is easy to find the money."

That explains how he was able to complete his controversial look at the over 200,000 Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Behind Forgotten Eyes tells the story of these "comfort women" through interviews with not only the survivors but, in a unique twist, some of the soldiers as well. Antony agreed to sit down with me between his busy shooting schedule to talk about the film, the effect it has had around the world, as well as several of his upcoming projects.

Daniel Ostrander: What's special about Nameless Films?

Anthony Gilmore: It's a lot more than a production company; it's a collective of filmmakers, artists, musicians, writers, etc. It started back in 2003 when we began work on Behind Forgotten Eyes. It was my first film ever. I knew nothing about documentaries, and I realized pretty quickly that I needed a team of people.

DO: How long did it take to complete?

AG: When I started I thought it was going to be a project that would take me three months. But three years went by and I realized documentaries take a large amount of invested time, work and money to really tell a story that can be respected.

DO: You've spent some time in the entertainment industry, including a stint on Broadway. How did you go from there to making documentaries for little to no cash?

AG: The thing is, when I was doing Broadway it was great. But after a while, I was missing something in my life. I needed to take a break. I'd always wanted to live overseas, so I went to Korea to teach and get my Masters.

DO: Is that where you got the idea for Behind Forgotten Eyes?

AG: Yeah. It was there I first learned of the "comfort women". I was just floored, and I started researching it for my thesis. I got ahold of all the documentaries I could find and realized that they are all one-sided. I wanted to hear from the soldiers who committed these acts. I couldn't find anything, and my advisor suggested that I make this film.

DO: Did you face any opposition from Japan when you were making this film?

AG: While I was making it, no. No one said anything. But when it came out, I received quite a lot of hate mail; even got some death threats. They were just empty. But it's interesting how serious people get when you talk about this topic.

DO: Has the Japanese government ever offered any kind of apology for what happened?

AG: It depends on which side you're sitting on. The Japanese government feels like there has, because multiple Prime Ministers have directly apologized to these women. But what Korea wants is an official, sanctioned apology from the government, like the Germans did after the war. They want a big show that is very official, but Japan refuses because of the normalization treaty that both sides signed twice. Japan also paid a massive reparations package, which Korea took and, instead of giving it to the victims of the war, they used it for their infrastructure.

DO: And what do you think?

AG: They should still apologize. Even though they signed on the dotted line, that's no excuse for 200,000 women forced into sexual slavery to be swept under the rug.

DO: Is this your first screening in Japan?

AG: It is the first, but it's not a premiere. I am holding that off for something bigger like the Tokyo International Film Festival, where more people can see it.

DO: How do you think it will be received?

AG: It's an educational documentary. I just want people to realize what has happened and not forget. That's really why I made the film. These women are elderly - two subjects of the film have already passed away. I wanted to make a record of their story and struggle for recognition. Their fight with Japan for that recognition is almost as important to me as what happened to them. I am drawn to stories where the characters show bravery in unbelievable circumstances. These women, even with all that they've been through and all the pain they've suffered, they still continue to fight for what they believe in, and that's amazing.

DO: What are you working on now?

AG: We're about to start editing Play Money (about the booming real money trade business that exists in the worlds of online gaming), and Life As Dad (a touching piece about Craig Murray, an American living in Okazaki who's caring for his three-year-old son who has extreme cerebral palsy) will wrap up in early spring. I also have a web series project coming up about English teachers, done in mockumentary style.

Behind Forgotten Eyes will be showing at 18:20 and 20:20 on March 12th at Cinema Skohole, near Nagoya Station. Anthony will also give a 30-minute Q&A between showings. Tickets are ¥1,500 in advance, ¥2,000 at the door (student discount available). The DVD is also available online at www.behindforgotteneyes.com. A portion of all proceeds will go to the House of Sharing, which serves as a residence for survivors of these war crimes. www.cinemashkole.co.jp

To download a PDF of this story as it appears in the magazine, click here

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