Translated by William Moritz

Monique Renault (Netherland).

Thursday, August 22, First Day of the Festival
Arrived yesterday after having flown halfway around the world without seeing very much of it. Yes, Taiwan. It's much bigger than I had imagined. I thought Taiwan was just a pile of little workshops where people made counterfeit Diors, false Raybans or Adidas ... Evidently there are also mountains and greenery.

I'm happy to be back in Hiroshima. Last May, for the selection of films--Ah! that selection!--I discovered Japan. You encounter the politeness of the Japanese while working, and by chance. And the beauty of the nearby islands. For the selection, we saw more than 1,000--I don't dare say "films"--works, and chose 74. That made a great number of disappointed and discontented people! The festival will be even more interesting for me, seeing on screen the results of this difficult gestation and hearing the comments.

Last night, barely arrived, no time to unpack my suitcase, meeting at the ASIFA headquarters. Met again Sayoko Kinoshita, the director of the festival, Ahi Feijo, David Ehrlich, and my dear Nicole Salomon, among others. Preparation for the presentation of our last collective workshop to the press and the Japanese public. Theme of the workshop: "The Rights of Children." Results more or less good. Afterwards we (Ahi, Nicole, David and me) prepared a text for the press.

Primitive Movers by Kathy Rose. Courtesy of Hiroshima 96.

Opening day of the festival. In the afternoon, screening of the first program "Best of the World". Very crowded. The atmosphere is pleasant, but the public doesn't react much to the films. I saw again Joy Street of Suzan Pitt, USA: animation and design superb. Rainbows of Hawaii by Faith Hubley, whom I love because of her great poetry--a charm that few other artists possess.

Then finally the opening ceremonies, with the presentations, thank-yous, congratulations and translations. Raoul Servais made a speech which was much appreciated. He spoke of Peace and our duty as artists to utilize animation to send messages of peace now while war and anti-democracy rages in certain parts of the world. The festival opens with Triangle by Erica Russell: practically abstract, but with different style and subject matter. She reminds me of Kathy Rose in the way she mixes music and dance with animation. I won't mention all the films in the programs, only those that stand out clearly in my memory. Furthermore, concerning memory, it's astonishing how few films I do remember. It's almost by chance! That lets me rediscover them. Ex Child by Jacques Drouin, one of the series of films from the National Film Board of Canada about the rights of children--against using children as soldiers; animated on pin-screen--an example of the message given by Raoul Servais. Quest by the German Tyron Montgomery: a first film, student of Paul Driessen--the search for a person, a sort of golem, in sand--across worlds in stages of paper, stone, fire to the search for water--dramatic, but magnificently animated! The audience doesn't appreciate Jumanji by Joe Johnston, for which we must reproach the selection committee. But I do think it's a good idea to have a special section in festivals for previews and special effects.