Apparently the world’s major metropolises have hit upon a new scheme to attract new revenue and boost tourism: invite a bunch of filmmakers to make short films about the city that can be played in cinemas around the globe. This trick certainly worked for the 2006 anthology feature Paris, je t’aime (Paris, I Love You), which enjoyed a successful theatrical run both here and abroad and almost certainly convinced numerous travelers to make Paris their next vacation spot. Later this year, the Big Apple gets into the act with the upcoming New York, I Love You, which finds actors like Kevin Bacon, Rachel Bilson and Orlando Bloom appearing in films directed by such filmmakers as Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and…Scarlett Johansson?! Well, at least her first movie will be short.Beating New York, I Love You to screens is Tokyo!, a collection of three films set in Japan’s hustling, bustling capital. Unlike Paris, je t’aime, which mixed fantastical visions of the City of Lights alongside more toruist-friendly postcard portraits, all of the movies in Tokyo! are pretty whacked out. That’s largely because the producers picked three oddball filmmakers to take on this project–Michel Gondry (The Science of Sleep), Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge) and Bong Joon-ho (The Host). None of these men could tell a straightforward story if they’re lives depended on it, which is great news for film buffs, if not necessarily moviegoers interested in more traditional fare.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, city
Tokyo, photo
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, Japan wall paper
Tokyo, Japan pic
