JAPAN: KEVIN COSTNER TRAVELS TO THE OLYMPIC CITY OF NAGANO FOR A SPECIAL PREVIEW OF HIS NEW FILM "THE POSTMAN"

Record ID: 387491

  • Title: JAPAN: KEVIN COSTNER TRAVELS TO THE OLYMPIC CITY OF NAGANO FOR A SPECIAL PREVIEW OF HIS NEW FILM "THE POSTMAN"
  • Date: 20th February 1998
  • Summary: NAGANO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 20, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) ( * BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) NAGANO PEACE APPEAL NEWS CONFERENCE: KEVIN COSTNER WALKS ONTO STAGE AND SITS DOWN JOURNALISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) KEVIN COSTNER SAYING, "I WAS PRESENTED WITH THIS IDEA THAT THEY WANTED TO SHOW THE MOVIE AT THE OLYMPICS AND TO THE ATHLETES AND I HAD REALLY NO IDEA IT WAS GONNA BE ATTACHED TO A CAUSE TO BE HONEST. IF PEOPLE WILL COME TONIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE MOVIE AND FROM THEIR POCKETS PULL MONEY AND PUT IT FORTH THEN I THINK THAT'S WHEN A MOVIE IS WORKING AT ITS VERY BEST IN A WAY I ACTUALLY NEVER INTENDED FOR IT TO WORK."
  • Embargoed: 7th March 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NAGANO, JAPAN/ FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: Japan
  • Reuters ID: LVAAODS4TH3OC18X6L459W27HCDI
  • Story Text: American actor and film director Kevin Costner arrived in Nagano on Friday (February 20) for a special Olympic preview of his new film "The Postman".

    But the star was unaware his film was being shown as part of an ongoing Nagano Peace Appeal.

    At a news conference, when asked to comment on his feelings about peace, Costner admitted he wasn't there to speak on the subject.He said he thought the idea was to show his movie, set in a world of post-war devastation, as entertainment for the Olympic athletes.

    "I had really no idea it was gonna be attached to a cause to be honest," a bemused Costner told journalists.

    Salvaging the situation, Costner said if the movie preview made money for the cause, then he was happy.

    "I think that's when a movie is working at its very best, in a way I never actually intended for it to work," he said.

    Nagano's peace appeal...a campaign which has run throughout the Olympic Games...aims at world peace and eradicating anti-personnel land mines.The campaign has the backing of marathon runner Chris Moon, who lost his right arm and leg while deactivating a land mine in Mozambique and Jodie Williams, the co-recipiant of the Nobel peace prize.

    The star of films such as "Field of Dreams", "Dances With Wolves" and "The Bodyguard" admitted there had been an uncomfortable moment at the news conference when the penny dropped and he realized he had little to say on the subject of peace.

    "It was a great surprise to me", he said.

    But he added the Olympics provided a great context for the film preview.

    "When you make a movie you want the world to see it and there's not really a better stage than the international stage of the Olympics." He said every athlete taking part in the Olympics had their own story.We only see the tip of the iceberg when we see them perform, he said.

    Speaking to Reuters about his latest film, Costner said he'd been attracted to the story because of its epic nature.

    "My favourite films have been epics over the years.Not only my films, but the ones I don't feel I could ever get enough of." Costner said he had always been more interested in longer-cut films.

    "My attention span was a lot longer than we seem to give credit for now," he mused.

    In the film, Costner plays the Postman - a drifter in a world blown apart by nuclear war.Amidst a divided community plagued by an evil army, Costner's character brings hope and deliverance through his role as a futuristic pony-express rider.

    Dozens of athletes arrived at Miel Parque Hall in central Nagano to see "The Postman".Eager fans queued for hours in the rain to see who would turn up.

    If Costner was not forthcoming on the subject of world peace, he had more to say to the athletes waiting to see his three hour long epic.In a sermon-like address to the gathering Costner offered some comfort for sporting dissapointment.

    "I truely think of all of you as champions," the star said.

    To the screams of female fans in the audience, Costner and Wilson were handed bunches of flowers by three of this year's Olympians - Bronze medalist in the 500 metre ladies speed skating Tomomi Okazaki, ladies freestyle ski moguls gold medalist Tae Satoya and Aiko Uemura, who took 7th place in the moguls competitiom.
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