When it comes to films that win awards at film festivals, you wouldn't normally think that the award-winning subject matter would be '80-year old woman says bye-bye to her faithful Mazda', but that would be a mistake.
And why would it be a mistake?
Simply because 'Goodbye RX-7: Saying Farewell To A Dear Friend', directed by Rinichi Ogawa, has walked off with the 'Grand Prix Award' at the International Automotive Film Festival - Powered by Dunlop, held in Tokyo.
What's the film about?
The short ten-minute film tells the tale of Naoko Nishimoto, who has been a driving nut since she first got her licence at the age of 25, but who - as she turns 80 (while barely looking, to our eyes, a day over 60) - has decided that it's time to hand in her licence and turn over her car keys.
Isn't this something that happens a lot?
Sure, it does, but how many 80-year-old ladies do you know whose car, for the past 25 years, has been a Mazda RX-7? And we mean the ultimate RX-7, the twin-turbo 'FD' model built from 1991 to 1997, and featuring one of the most perfectly-wrought automotive shapes of all time (we will brook no argument on this).
Ah, this suddenly sounds much more interesting…
Not just interesting, but really quite emotional. You see, Naoko-san is one of us. She's a proper petrolhead who fell in love with the RX-7 when she saw an animated version in the epochal anime film Initial D. Everyone who's seen Initial D usually raves about the Toyota Corolla AE86 Coupe, but not Naoko - she wanted the Mazda.
How much has she driven it?
In her 25 years of ownership, Naoko-san has racked up 77,500km, which doesn't sound like all that much, but when you remember how tight and congested Japan is, even in her home town of Nagasaki, you realise that's actually pretty good going. You can tell that Naoko is truly one of us because she still speaks with glee about the simple act of shifting gears in her RX-7. It's genuinely heartwarming.
Why is she giving it up?
She simply feels she's reached an age when she should stop driving, and someone else should get to enjoy the car. Interestingly, that's not her son, who has been helping her document her last months with the Mazda in photos, but we won't spoil where the car ends up. Go and seek out the film on YouTube.
Just one word of warning - tears will almost certainly be flowing.
How big a deal is the award?
Quite a big deal. Founder of the International Automotive Film Festival - Powered by Dunlop, Yoshiyuki Shimizu said, "All of the winning films reminded us that cars are not merely a means of transportation, but are deeply intertwined with people's emotions, culture, and lives. In particular, director Ogawa's RX-7 film, which achieved the first-ever double win, had a powerful ability to resonate with many people regardless of nationality.”
Ogawa said, "It was a great experience making a movie about Naoko Nishimoto, a lady turning 80 who has decided to hand in her driver's license, and therefore give up her precious RX-7 after spending 25 memorable years with the car. Very emotional story.” Ogawa's film not only won the Grand Prix prize, but also the Team Ukyo prize, presented by ex-F1 driver Ukyo Katayama.
Other winners on the night included the newly created Dunlop Tyre Award, going to "A Day in Rothenburg, Germany in 1:87 Scale” from Japanese director Kenji Yokokawa, while the Best Cars of the Year trophy was awarded to the "Driven: Maserati 300S: Masterpiece in Motion” created by British director Sam Hancock. Of the two Japanese media awards, the Auto Bild Japan trophy went to "A Drive Through Time” by Luxembourg director Lukas Grevis, with the Luxembourg embassy's Deputy Head of Mission, Anne Moes, attending in Grevis's place to say a few words on his behalf. The final ProNews trophy was awarded to "Mannequin,” an eye-opening animated movie by Romanian directors George ve Ganaeaard and Horia Cucuta telling the story of a family of crash test dummy mannequins.