Someone has recently posted a 5-minute long video on YouTube that shows behind-the-scenes activity from the shooting of Kurosawa’s late classic movie Ran.
As the documentary-like film plays, and narrator comments in French and English can be heard on the background, the person who posted this has typed in a message that appears to suggest that altogether 150 hours of making-of footage was originally shot, of which some 70 have survived until today. The person claims that he or she has access to all of this video, and calls for someone (and especially so Steven Spielberg) to fund the restoration of this material.
At the same time, the text that introduces the video seems to suggest that they are actually already working on restoring it: “I am a staff engaged in taking a picture of this ‘RAN’ record video. Therefore, I feel the mission of which it informs the world.”
What do you make of this?
I hope its true, but I am not holding my breath.