Third Japanese Film Festival Opens in Seychelles with ‘Sword of Serenity’ Screening

VICTORIA, Seychelles — The third Japanese Film Festival in Seychelles was officially launched yesterday with the screening of the drama ‘Iwane: Sword of Serenity’ at the National Theatre in Mont Fleuri. The event is a partnership between the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, the Japan Foundation and the embassy of Japan in Seychelles.

Japanese ambassador to Seychelles Makoto Sakuta, Speaker of the National Assembly Roger Mancienne, secretary general of the Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts David Andre, and permanent secretary for Culture Cecile Kalebi were among the guests at yesterday’s official launch. The main character of the movie is a samory who works as a bodyguard for a money exchanger at night and becomes entangled in a conspiracy surrounding a new currency policy implemented by the military government of Japan at the time.

Ambassador Sakuta said Japan and Seychelles share a long-standing history of cultural exchange and friendship. “Today the bilateral relationship between Japan and the Seychelles continues to flourish through various culture and people to people exchanges,” he said, adding that the third film festival came after the success of the two previous ones. Mr Andre said the festival is now a permanent feature on the cultural calendar and is a platform to engage with the rich history, creativity and artistic traditions of Japan to foster deeper ties and a broader appreciation of each other’s cultures.