Yûichi Hibi Q&A Session

Reviewed by Stephen Clark. Viewed at the Santa Ynez Valley Lounge during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Award winning film director and renowned photographer Yûichi Hibi made a special appearance at the Santa Ynez Valley Lounge to hold a discussion with the SBCC Film Studies program. The Q&A, held by professor Nico Maestu was an enlightening experience as he opened my eyes by explaining the trials an tribulations he has dealt with as a film director. Yûichi had to overcome a massive drawback when the three major film distribution companies in Japan filed lawsuits in order to stop him from completing his documentary film on the life of Clint Eastwood. These corporations treated Yûichi as if he was a small fry in the industry and not worthy to direct a film on the legacy of revolutionary Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood. He overcame the doubts of these companies as he won “Best Documentary” for his work Ken San.

Yûichi’s achievements are extensive as he also has published seven successful photography books in the U.S. and Germany. He is ambitious about making a fiction film and has prepared five scripts to direct. He also stressed the importance of working with copyrights on music in preparation to distribute the film and be able to incorporate a popular soundtrack while being cost effective.

The discussion being held in the Santa Ynez Valley Lounge created a relaxed and comfortable ambiance and was quickly engaged with Yûichi as his personal experiences were very relatable. Yûichi had a very interesting style as he sported white Air Jordans, dapper blue jeans, and a sophisticated looking leather jacket. I was not able to see Ken San or any of Yûichi’s films but I look forward to seeing his work and observing how his style reflects on his films and also his photography.