News
Kaz pushing the virtual Divide Film Releases
SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 22, in the year of our Lord 2014-This
film is about drive. It's about the passion and creative drive
of Kazunori Yamauchi, the architect behind PlayStation's® Gran
Turismo birth and breath-taking 15-year development. Sony
Computer Entertainment America, LLC and Industry Films today
premiered on Hulu, "KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide,"a
documentary by director Tamir Moscovici ("Urban
Outlaw,""Painting Coconuts"). "KAZ" traces Kazunori's relentless
willingness to challenge himself, to hold none of his past
achievements sacred, and push beyond the virtual divide in his
pursuit of perfection.
Kazunori developed a fascination with cars early on in life, at
the age of three, joining his father as he drove to work each
day. The idea for Gran Turismo was conceived when we was just
15. His first love was the Nissan GT-R, and it was also his
first crash at the age of 24. This same fascination that
underscored decades of driving passion was the beginning of a
15-year expression of love that would spawn the greatest video
game racing franchise, TV racing series "GT Academy," an
upcoming feature film, and groundbreaking automotive industry
programs such as Vision GT. Through PlayStation, Kazunori's
journey and struggles have forever changed the gaming and
automotive landscape to redefine the relationship between
entertainment and culture.
"I feel truly lucky to be able to create a driving game that can
capture the emotion and true feeling of cars from around the
world," said Kazunori Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital
Inc. and creator of Gran Turismo. "I am honored to share a part
of my life's vision with the fans and excited to see how
everyone who has been part of the Gran Turismo movement has
changed the course of the gaming and automotive industries in
ways we never dreamed possible."
Director Tamir Moscovici commented on the unique intersection
between car culture, filmmaking, and the Gran Turismo series:
"What really inspired me while making this documentary about
Kazunori and Gran Turismo was the element of loyalty and family
that was evident from the start. This same feeling of being part
of something exciting is extended to the fans and it's why there
is such a devoted following for something that many would
perceive as simply a video game. Shooting footage of rare cars
and following the team across the world as they created the game
was exciting, but our big picture was to shed the exterior, to
be able to capture how this movement has changed the lives of
millions."