For “Kamata Prelude” Japanese actress Urara Matsubayashi turned producer and brought together Ryutaro Nakagawa, Mayu Akiyama, Yuka Yasukawa and Hirobumi Watanabe, who each direct one episode of this omnibus film. But Matsubayashi’s input doesn’t stop there, she set out to make a film focusing on sexual harassment in the Japanese film industry, based on what she experienced herself and saw happening around her. To underline her commitment to the film and its message, she also takes up the lead role.
Kamata Prelude is screening at Nippon Connection
At first glance “Kamata Prelude” tells the story of Machiko Kamata, a young, struggling actress who we see at auditions. She has to deal with different degrees of sexual harassment; however, the film also explores her dreams, anxieties and ambitions. This gives a deeper layer, not only looking at the way women are treated in the Japanese film industry, but in society as a whole.
Kamata Prelude is screening at Nippon Connection
At first glance “Kamata Prelude” tells the story of Machiko Kamata, a young, struggling actress who we see at auditions. She has to deal with different degrees of sexual harassment; however, the film also explores her dreams, anxieties and ambitions. This gives a deeper layer, not only looking at the way women are treated in the Japanese film industry, but in society as a whole.
- 6/6/2021
- by Nancy Fornoville
- AsianMoviePulse
About the Film
Winner of multiple Moosic Lab 2018 awards, including the long features Grand Prix, Best Actor and Musician Award, “Rent a Friend” poses the question of whether friendship between a man and a woman can indeed exist.
As director Mayu Akiyama explaines: ‘Relationships’ are dear as well as a bother. It makes no difference if you bought it with money. The film depicts my direct and indirect responses to the question of whether a friendship between a male and a female can exist.
Synopsis
Nasa works for an online magazine and conducts a self-experiment for her story. In a bar, she meets Sota and learns that he works for a company that offers “friends” for rent, named “Rent-a-Friend”. Sota claims that he has the ability to switch off all romantic feelings towards women, therefore he seems to be the perfect object of study for Nasa’s series of articles.
Winner of multiple Moosic Lab 2018 awards, including the long features Grand Prix, Best Actor and Musician Award, “Rent a Friend” poses the question of whether friendship between a man and a woman can indeed exist.
As director Mayu Akiyama explaines: ‘Relationships’ are dear as well as a bother. It makes no difference if you bought it with money. The film depicts my direct and indirect responses to the question of whether a friendship between a male and a female can exist.
Synopsis
Nasa works for an online magazine and conducts a self-experiment for her story. In a bar, she meets Sota and learns that he works for a company that offers “friends” for rent, named “Rent-a-Friend”. Sota claims that he has the ability to switch off all romantic feelings towards women, therefore he seems to be the perfect object of study for Nasa’s series of articles.
- 3/22/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Can men and women be friends without this leading to a romantic relationship? Some say yes, some say no. There is hardly a question on which opinions differ so widely. Young Japanese director Mayu Akiyama also deals with this topic in her feature film debut. Her main character Nasa works for an online magazine and conducts a self-experiment for her story. In a bar, she meets Sota and learns that he is working for a company named “Rent-a-Friend”. It is an agency that offers “friends” for rent. Since Sota claims that he has a switch he can switch off all romantic feelings towards women, he seems to be the perfect object of study for her series of articles.
Akiyama chooses to use simple means and a minimalistic staging, which are probably partly due to a modest production budget. The reduced form, however, also has the advantage of creating a realistic...
Akiyama chooses to use simple means and a minimalistic staging, which are probably partly due to a modest production budget. The reduced form, however, also has the advantage of creating a realistic...
- 3/22/2020
- by Teresa Vena
- AsianMoviePulse
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