Filmmaker extraordinaire Peter Grasse, who kickstarted his career at Curious Films Auckland, has been signed as a speaker at the Spikes Asia, which gets underway in Singapore today.
Grasse, now executive producer at Dictionary Films Tokyo, takes the stage this afternoon to discuss Inspiration in Adaptation: Making Love and Headlines in Japan – the making of his controversial new Diesel commercial which is making waves in conservative Japan for its depictions of gay love.
When Dictionary Films won the chance to recreate Diesel’s very American Make Love Not Walls for a Japanese audience, Grasse says he knew that he really only had one choice before him.
The local Japanese Diesel commercial, The Walls, trumped its global predecessor not only in views, likes, and shares but also in overall critical acclaim.
“The Walls asked people to tear down barriers that prevent people from being free to love. That included love between LGBT people, which is a fresh idea for Japan.”
Moreover, it motivated culture. Diesel’s position as a champion of tolerance and acceptance was provocative. The Walls asked people to tear down the barriers that prevent people from being free to love. That included love between LGBT people, which is a fresh idea for Japan.
Coupling that with a stimulating visual aesthetic made for a standout, brave and much-loved campaign.
Grasse will also relate the lessons he’s learned producing work in Japan with the hope that our industry can gain new perspective on producing work differently and with drive.
“What I’m hearing is that the system’s broken and advertising’s dead,” Grasse said. “But we know as creatives that’s trumped-up bullshit and simply not true. It was simply inspiring to go to Japan and produce creative work by different means. So inspirational that I’m motivated to share in the hope that we can do more of the same together.”
- www.spikes.asia/home
- Read more about Peter Grasse’s speaker session: http://bit.ly/2k05pu2
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