15 Films you shouldn’t miss at the 18th Camera Japan Festival

By Asian Film Festival on September 15, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

These are fifteen films you shouldn’t miss at the Camera Japan Festival which will take place in Rotterdam (September 20 – 24, 2023) and Amsterdam (September 28 – October 1, 2023).

#ManHole by Kumakiri Kazuyoshi – Japan | 2023 – 99 minutes
After a night of drinking at his stag party, young businessman Shunsuke falls into an open manhole. Injured, he tries to escape the death trap with only his smartphone to help him out. As it starts to rain, he increasingly begins to doubt whether his predicament is really an accident. A claustrophobic thriller with surprising twists, sardonic humour and edge-of-your-seat suspense. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Bad Lands by Harada Masato – Japan | 2023 – 143 minutes
Slickly directed thriller about a woman and her younger brother, who are conning their way through life. One day, they make a big score, but now they are also on the radar of several different adversaries including the cops. Heir to the many 90s crime comedies that followed in the wake of Pulp Fiction, this frantically paced crime thriller focuses on both the plights of the main protagonists and their many enemies. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Cafune by Kinemura Haruki – Japan | 2023 – 66 minutes
A teenager living in a port town finds herself pregnant. Family and friends look on as her parents and her boyfriend’s parents agonize over how to take responsibility for what has happened. In the meantime, the two youngsters start to learn how to express their feelings and what they want from their futures. Delicate drama with a measured balanced script that depicts desires and conflicts as decisions must be made. An impressive debut by CHIBA Miu and KINEMURA Haruki, who co-wrote the script. (CameraJapan 2023)

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December by Anshul Chauhan – Japan | 2022 – 99 minutes
Two exes reunite after seven years to fight the release from prison of their daughter’s murderer. They’re forced to confront difficult questions of punishment and redemption while their grief threatens to consume them again. At the same time, the young murderer struggles with whether she should be allowed another chance at freedom and life. A gripping, humanistic and psychologically nuanced courtroom drama with social commentary, compelling characters and excellent cinematography and staging. (CameraJapan 2023)

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I am What I Am by Tamada Shinya – Japan | 2022 – 104 minutes
Kasumi is 30 years old and has always been single despite her mother’s wishes. Nobody believes her when she says she has never been in love and has never felt attracted to anyone, romantic or otherwise. Tricked into a marriage arrangement meeting, she unexpectedly meets a kindred spirit. MIURA Toko (Drive My Car) shines in this anti-romance, which sincerely, sensibly and delicately highlights the plight of the asexual. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Love Will Tear Us Apart by Ugana Kenichi – Japan | 2023 – 87 minutes
Screenwriter WATANABE Hirobumi—best known to CAMERA JAPAN audiences for small, experimental films like Poolsideman—goes mainstream … sort of. Love Will Tear Us Apart is a fun, slick slasher film about a young girl having to confront the demons of her past while dealing with several suitors. The film is also eccentric, full of deliberate tonal whiplashes and outrageous kills. Come for the kills, stay for the romance. (CameraJapan 2023)

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MAYHEM GIRLs by Fujita Shinichi – Japan | 2022 – 98 minutes
Mizuho tries to survive high school during the pandemic when she suddenly gains psychokinetic superpowers. She befriends three other girls who have just become telepathic, started teleporting or can jump through the internet. When Mizuho starts using her powers to impress an older boy, mayhem ensues. Great power doesn’t equal great responsibility in the hands of these girls, but it does mean a lot of fun. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Mountain Woman by Fukunaga Takeshi – Japan | 2022 – 100 minutes
As a member of a family of outcasts in rural northern Japan in the late 18th century, Rin is despised by her village. Then one day, her hungry father steals some rice. She takes the blame and is driven away from the village to Mount Hayachine, which is said to be where the spirits of the dead ascend. A mystical drama evoking old legends and an uncompromising meditation on finding oneness and liberation. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Natchan’s Little Secret by Tanaka Yasujiro – Japan | 2023 – 97 minutes
After drag queen Natchan dies, three of her friends travel together to her funeral at the family home. One thing makes the grieving process even more difficult: Natchan was not out of the closet to her family, which divides the opinions of the group. A fun, feel-good road movie with deliciously campy drag performances in the spirit of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (CameraJapan 2023)

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New Religion by Kondo Keishi – Japan | 2022 – 100 minutes
After her daughter’s death, divorced Miyabi becomes a sex worker. One day, she meets a weird customer who wants to take a picture of her spine. Another time, a picture of her feet. After a while, she realises that every time she allows her body to be photographed, her daughter’s spirit gets closer. Soon only her eyes remain to be captured, leading to the collapse of society in this bold, atmospheric and compelling horror from a young, new and shocking voice. (CameraJapan 2023)

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People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind by Kaneko Yurina – Japan | 2023 – 109 minutes
Mimiko and Tsuyoshi decide to join the plushies club. At first, they are puzzled by the weird-looking, toy-cuddling members, but they soon realise plushies can help the sensitive and the introverted let out their worries and sorrows. Perhaps people who seem strange could just be shy and lonely. A sweet and delicate movie that confronts issues of masculinity, gender and acceptance in contemporary society. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Perfect Days by Wim Wenders – Japan, Germany | 2023 – 123 minutes
Hirayami cleans public toilets in Tokyo and seems to be truly content with his simple, solitary life. He follows a strict daily routine, rarely talks to anyone and dedicates his free time to his passion for music, books and photographing the same tree every day. A richly detailed, poetic and deeply moving character study by legendary German director Wim WENDERS. Starring the incredible YAKUSHO Koji who won the Best Actor Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. (CameraJapan 2023)

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Tea Friends by Sotoyama Bunji – Japan | 2023 – 134 minutes
A group of youngsters run a tea-drinking club, which is actually a prostitution business specialising in arranging appointments for sex workers over 65. This socially conscious ensemble drama, inspired by actual events, shines a light on the plight of individuals living without hope while posing the question of how people of different generations, young and old, should interact and coexist. (CameraJapan 2023)

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The Night Before Upheaval by Kameyama Mutsuki – Japan | 2022 – 113 minutes
Filmmaker KAMEYAMA Mutsuki presents a sincere and in-depth look at getting their film 12 Months of KAI screened at foreign film festivals. The documentary provides an insider view of international film festival applications, directors’ struggles to gain recognition, and the impact of COVID-19 on the film industry. A fascinating perspective on the faces behind the films we screen at CAMERA JAPAN. (CameraJapan 2023)

Tsugaru Lacquer Girl by Tsuruoka Keiko – Japan | 2023 – 118 minutes
The Tsugaru lacquerware industry in northern Japan is in decline. While Aoki’s grandfather was respected and successful, her father has been impoverished by his devotion to the craft, which also cost him his marriage. His son wants nothing to do with it. Aoki does not know what to do with her life, except to try to learn the craft from her father and to continue the family business. However, her father has lost faith in it. A subtle drama about personal challenges, complicated family relations and the nature of legacy. Fine depictions of the process and craft of Tsugaru lacquer. (CameraJapan 2023)

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