INTRODUCTION

"Life is Journey" is a compilation of four short stories - planned, written, edited, directed, and even acted in part by Seiichi Tanabe.
The four stories are entitled, "Life", "N", "Ya" and "Nowhere". The characters all yearn to connect with others, while dwelling in their solitude. Unable to live life alone, they are mirror images of ourselves. The recurring theme, according to Tanabe, is "Life is one long road trip". Accidental encounters and reluctant partings overlap joy and pain on a daily basis - yet no two days are alike.

"Life" portrays half of a woman's life in a one-scene, one-cut, nine-minute sequence. "N" is a comical take on a man abandoned by his lover. "Ya" explores the bond of female friendship as one woman consoles a brokenhearted girlfriend. In "Nowhere", a man and a woman roam the streets of a foreign land in search of lost time.
Each story has a distinct texture, yet each character is rendered with the same sense of warmth.

Extracting very personal emotions, universalizing them, then translating them to the screen is a new approach akin to cinematic poetry. The style is simple, humorous, and above all, beautiful.
The cameramen responsible for capturing the essence of director Tanabe's world are Zensho Sakamoto of "Bounce ko GALs" (97), Hideo Yamamoto of "N", "Ya", "Nowhere", "HANA-BI" (97), "White Out" (00) and "Life". The background music in "Nowhere" is Ryuichi Sakamoto's "lorenz and watson".

A world first!! "Life is Journey" was shot with a Panasonic 24P Mini DV Camera (AG DVX 100) - its usage and effect in big screen camera work may revolutionize the craft of filmmaking.
** Vari-cam is a full scale cinematographic camera by Panasonic and has been used in films such as "Totsunyuu seyo! Asama Sanso Jiken" and various commercials.
Actual filming for "Life is Journey" began in 2003 with "Nowhere" shot in Portugal in mid-April. The film will premiere on June 21st at the Cine Quinto Late Show, and subsequently in theaters nationwide.