髙野悦子は、日本女子大学の社会心理学の授業で婦人問題をテーマにして、女性の社会進出や可能性を追求してきました。また研究テーマ「マスメディアとしての映画」の論文を通じて映画に魅せられ、東宝文芸部に入社します。監督を目指し製作現場への異動を希望しますが、かないませんでした。当時、映画監督は、女性の職業の対象と考えられていなかったのです。その挫折の思いがフランスのイデック（IDHEC：Institut Des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques：現FEMIS）への留学決意につながり、世界一流の映画監督や関係者、あるいは同時期に映画を目指した女性たちとの生涯にわたる人脈を形成します。帰国後の彼女は、映画製作を目指しますが、ここでも希望はかないませんでした。縁あって岩波ホールの開場を手伝うことになり、創立と同時に総支配人に就任します。フランスでの留学体験が、その後の彼女の岩波ホールでの活動に役立ったことは言うまでもありません。
彼女の旧満州に始まる生い立ちや研究論文、パリでの留学体験、映画館現場の体験などを通じて熟成されていった人生観や価値観は、平和な日本への復活を目指していた当時の社会や人々、とりわけ女性たちにどれほどの力を与えたか知れません。
岩波ホールの総支配人として、演劇や映画の上映においても、一貫して自分の目や感性を信じて作品の選択をしてきました。興行的に疑問視された映画も自身の考えを貫き徹して、大きな反響と称賛を獲得したことも少なくありません。そこには、平和な世界の原点である「家族」あるいは「家」への想いがあったに違いありません。私たちは、彼女の目を通して『本物』の映画作品に接する機会を得られたことに感謝しなければなりません。何事にも臆せず進んでいく生き方、その中から得られた自己の価値観へのゆるぎない自信とチャレンジ精神、そしてユーモアは、今を生きる私たちにとっても新鮮そのものといえます。今回の展覧会では、彼女の生涯を様々な角度から考察し、その生きざまを紹介しようとするものです。輝く女性像が求められる現代の中で、女性の視点で社会を見ることの大切さを教えてくれます。
主任学芸員 岡部三知代
Etsuko Takano began her quest for the possibility of women’s social advancement under the theme of women’s issues in her social psychology class when studying at Japan Women’s University. Meanwhile, she fell in love with movies while writing her thesis “Cinema as the mass media”, and that led her way to enter the literary section of Toho Co.,Ltd. She wished to become a film director and applied her relocation to the production field. However, such an occupation was not considered suitable for women back then. This incident made up her mind to study at IDHEC (Institut Des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques, currently FEMIS) in France, by which she created lifelong connections with top film directors, movie people, and her female colleagues who dedicated themselves to the cinema during the same period. After returning to Japan, Etsuko once again tried to produce films only to fail. With some connections, she assisted to set up Iwanami Hall and took up the position of general manager upon its opening. It is needless to say that her experience in France contributed to the succeeding activities of Iwanami Hall.
In retrospect, Japanese society and citizens were struggling to emerge from the aftermath of the lost war. Etsuko inspired such people, especially women, with her sense of values and views on life formed through her early years in Manchuria, her study for the paper, her research days in France, and her engagement in Iwanami Hall.
As the general manager of Iwanami Hall, she never compromised as to what to show in the theatre. She selected plays and pictures by strictly following her senses and insight believing in herself. There were not a few films put on at Iwanami Hall that were highly praised and draw huge public attentions even when they were not commercially successful. The backdrop of her uncompromising stance was her deep affection for “home” and “family” from which peaceful world expands.
We must appreciate the fact that we were given the opportunities to watch “genuine” films through her lenses. Her resolved attitude towards life, her unwavering faith in her own values cultivated through her own experience, her willingness to take on challenges and good sense of humor are still fresh to us even today. In this exhibition, we examined her life from various angles in order to showcase how she lived. Lately, Japan is welcoming the advent of brilliant women who can give full play to their talent in various social settings. Etsuko Takano shows us how women’s views on society are important throughout her life.
Curator Michiyo Okabe