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Slide 1: short cuts Nippon Connection Film Festival on Tour Over 60 short films from the forefront of Japan’s emerging independent filmmakers and video artists, plus a special highlight on acclaimed director Naomi Kawase. All films are in Japanese with English subtitles and are digital video. TICKETS Free admission lo n g c u t s A comprehensive selection of Japan’s newest films, from blockbusters, documentaries and breakthrough films, to the internationally acclaimed and highly controversial. All 18 films are U.S. or NY premieres. All films are in Japanese with English subtitles unless otherwise noted. TICKETS $11 general/$7 Japan Society members & seniors unless otherwise noted U.S . PrEmIErE NY PrEmIErE Since 2000, Nippon Connection Film Festival has introduced new Japanese films to the European community, fast becoming one of the leading festivals devoted to contemporary Japanese films. JAPAN CUTS presents Nippon Connection Film Festival on Tour, a selection of digital videos from the 2008 festival, compiled by Nippon Connection Film Festival (www.nipponconnection.com). Adrift in Tokyo (Tenten) Thursday, July 3 at 4:20 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival When law student Fumiya cannot pay off his debts, collecting agent Aiichiro bullies him into taking a leisurely stroll through Tokyo—through the back allies, shrines, parks and restaurants where his deepest memories are kept. Director Satoshi Miki weaves together this strange journey of two men into a heart-warming comedy with a phenomenal ensemble cast. Best Supporting Actor for Tomokazu Miura in the 2007 Kinema Junpo Award. 2007, 101 min, 35mm. Directed by Satoshi Miki. With Tomokazu Miura and Joe Odagiri. Dainipponjin (Big man Japan) Friday, July 4 at 2:30 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival When big trouble arises, Daisato steps into a pair of oversized purple briefs and is electrocuted to become a Dainipponjin (giant Japanese). The last in a long line of revered Dainipponjin, Daisato attacks horrifying monsters through the cities of Japan. But unlike the glory days of past Dainipponjin superheros, Daisato is ridiculed and taunted by present-day society as a nuisance. Japan’s most popular comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto stars and directs this whacky kaiju spoof about the perils of so-called heroism and celebrity. Official selection, Cannes 2007. 2007, 113 min., 35mm. Directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto. With Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi and UA. Music by Towa Tei. Films presented between July 3–6 are co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival, America’s leading festival of popular Asian Cinema. www.subwaycinema.com. Digista Vol. VI Saturday, July 5 at 1:45 pm & monday, July 7 at 6:45 pm Digista (Digital Stadium) is a show on the Japanese television network, NHK, where artists and filmmakers compete for their work to be aired. Over the years, it has grown into a multimedia platform dedicated to the discovery of innovative new talents in the field of digital visual media. This is a selection of works compiled from Digista 2007. www.nhk.or.jp/digista. Total running time 67 min. JVC Tokyo Video Festival Sunday, July 6 at 6 pm & Saturday, July 12 at 1:15 pm Founded in 1978, the JVC-sponsored Tokyo Video Festival (TVF) is now the largest international video competition in Japan, gathering 40,000 works from 90 countries worldwide. The festival is open to amateurs and professionals for short and feature films, documentaries and fiction. Here is a selection from TVF 2008. www.jvc-victor.co.jp/english/tvf. Total running time 90 min. Planet + 1 Selection: Immoral Films Saturday, July 5 at 6:45 pm & Thursday, July 10 at 8:15 pm Talented young directors in Tokyo contribute their films to the Immoral Film Festival, presented by the independent distributor Image Rings. The results are some of the most intriguing films of recent years—provocative, perplexing and always throttling the border between fiction and reality. Total running time 70 min. OPENING FILm—DOUBLE BILL Piece 2007, 2:27 min. Directed by Yusuke Koyanagi. *Also screened in Open Art Animation Z 2006, 3:35 min. Directed by Shinya Sato. Flock 2007, 3:07 min. Directed by Toru Otsubo. Gluebe 2007, 3 min. Directed by Takeshi Usami. Fridges 2007, 6:53 min. Directed by Fujio Tanabe. Ikuemi no zanzou 2007, 4:42 min. Directed by Masashi Yokota. Around 2007, 3:12 min. Directed by Ryu Kato. runningman 2006, 4:30 min. Directed by Tetsuro Kodama. With a Confident Smile 2007, 3:38 min. Directed by Ryu Kouben. Kujira 2007, 5:43 min. Directed by Reiko Murakami. Paper Play 2007, 2:40 min. Directed by Sho Yamaguchi. Selene Attraction 2007, 5:30 min. Directed by Kazuhiko Kobayashi. A maze 2007, 17:59 min. Directed by Kei Takahashi. 2007, 10 min. Directed by Yuri Nakadaira. Hansel learns the importance of people supporting one another no matter how poor their lives may be. 2007, 13:50 min. Directed by Yu Katasumata. At the end of a summer vacation, Kouda declares her love to her classmate Iizuka, leaving Riri, Kouda’s best friend, alone. 2007, 20 min. Directed by Yusuke Sakamoto. This clay animation delicately portrays the complex psychology between two sisters. *Also screened in Open Art Animation 2007, 5:15 min. Directed by Xiangyu Meng. An artistic work in which everyday life scenes are captured in various ways, linking together real and virtual spaces. Hansel’s moon Town The milky Audition 2007, video, 8 min. Directed by Yumi Yoshiyuki. Pink film director Yumi Yoshiyuki presents an obsessive homage to a 1970s pop star. Blue Sky, Night Sky, Starry Sky Yueikinshikuiki 2007, 19 min. Directed by Koji Maeda. The day after too many drinks and uneasy one-night stands, a group of slackers wander aimlessly through the streets. Woman of Golden Fish (Pinsaro no onna) Fujica Single-Date 2007, 23 min. Directed by Shinji Imaoka. Sato secretly yearns for a girl he knows from the red-light district. Director Imaoka tries to arrange a date—and goes along with the camera. 2007, 29 min. Directed by Kenji Murakami. In 2007, Japan’s Super 8 film production came to a halt, provoking Murakami to create a meditation on the magical aura of film and all its possible effects on one’s love life. The Dandelion Sister (Tanpopo no ane) mutual Link U.S . PrEmIErE NY PrEmIErE Fine, Totally Fine (Zenzen daijobu) Thursday, July 3 at 6:30 pm & Saturday, July 5 at 6:30 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival By day, Teruo works at his family’s used bookstore—by night, he works on creating the world’s scariest haunted house. When pretty but clumsy Akari begins working at the shop, both Teruo and his friend vow to capture her heart. Silly, jealous rivalry ensues in this hilarious, offbeat comedy. Winner of the Grand Prize at the Nippon Connection Film Festival. 2007, 110 min., 35 mm. Directed by Yosuke Fujita. With Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Yoshino Kimura and Yoshinori Okada. Always: Sunset on Third Street—2 (Always: Zoku-Sanchome no yuhi) The Last Chapter 2007, 20 min. Directed by Makiko Ishihara. Based on a memoir written by the filmmaker’s late father, who had estranged himself from the rest of his family. 2007, 20 min. Directed by Tsuyoshi Ishii. A documentary-like drama about the everyday life of Chocker, a villain in an SFX live-action film. Saturday, July 5 at 1 pm & Sunday, July 6 at 8:15 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival Set in in nostalgic 1959 Tokyo, Always (2006) won 13 of Japan’s 14 Academy Awards and the New York Asian Film Festival Audience Award. The same cast of beloved characters returns to the visually lavish and magical world of Third Street in Always—2. Opening with a rare cameo by Godzilla, the story continues as struggling writer Chagawa vows to win a prestigious book award after he learns that Junnosuke, the boy whom he supports, might be taken away from him by his sinister biological father. The entire neighborhood comes together to support Chagawa as he races to complete his novel. Picture of the Year, and winner, Best Actor Hidetaka Yoshioka, 31st Japan Academy Prize. 2007, 146 min., 35mm. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. With Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Koyuki. Why Didn’t the Hero Appear in The Iraq War? NY P r E m I E r E— O P E NI NG F I L m The mourning Forest (mogari no mori) Wednesday, July 2 at 6:30 pm & monday, July 7 at 6:30 pm M E E t c u t s ! Q & A with director Naomi Kawase following the July 2 screening. Unable to forget the death of her young son, Machiko moves into the backroads of Nara to work at a home for the elderly, where she meets Shigeki, who has been suffering from the loss of his wife for many years. One day, they wander deep through the forest together, hoping to locate her grave. When they lose their way, the two embark upon an unexpected journey through devastating memories and grief, fueled by the forceful energy of the midsummer mountains. Winner of the Grand Prix Cannes 2007. 2007, 97 min., 35mm. Directed by Naomi Kawase. With Shigeki Uda and Machiko Ono. Vortex and Others—5 Short Works by Yoshihiro Ito Tuesday, July 8 at 6:45 pm & Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 pm Yoshihiro Ito is one of the most astonishing talents to emerge from within the Japanese independent scene in recent years. His film cycle revolves around the topic of love, and creates a magical space where the subtle meets the bizarre meets the profound. Total running time 98 min. 893239 (Yakuza Short Films) Tuesday, July 8 at 8:45 pm & Sunday, July 13 at 5:15 pm The short film compilation 893239 is a collection of films with the overall theme of yakuza. All episodes are shot by different directors and crews who had to work within a budget limit of $1,000 (¥100.000) per film. The result offers comedy, drama, music video and mockumentary. Here is a selection of 8 episodes. Total running time 86 min. The mourning Forest is preceded by a short documentary Wife’s Knife (Sanma no hi) 2006, 10 min. A woman has bought cheap fish and her husband gradually lapses into a frantic panic. But who is really crazy here? Imaginary Lines 2001, 25 min. On New Year’s Eve 2000, a woman wanders through Tokyo. Meeting two men who shouldn’t exist, the borders of memory, past and present start to blur. Tarachime Kawase documents the birth and upbringing of her own son, as the great aunt who raised her, now 92, suffers from senile dementia and slowly approaches death. 2006, 39 min., digital video. Directed by Naomi Kawase. running Flamenco (Hashiru flamenco) Directed by Koji Masui. 4:36 min. Directed by Hijiri Taketomi. Sumida episode, 10:25 min., Nakano episode, Beyond the Forest of the man (Yakuza no mori) Yakuza’s Delivery (Yakuza-no takuhaibin) Directed by Noriaki Sugihara. Open Art Animation Saturday, July 5 at 8:15 pm & Thursday, July 10 at 6:45 pm Open Art (www.open-art.tv) is more than a website, it is an archive, a distribution matrix and a tireless promoter of short films. Founded in 1999, it has collected over 1,000 films. Here is a selection of the best in recent years’ animated films. Total running time 72 min. 2003, 34 min. Two people, who cannot use their arms, meet. What sounds absurd develops into the most poetic meeting. Umeshinju Edogawa episode, 9:38 min. Non-Intervention Game (Fukansho gemu) 2008, 10 min. A tourist walks through the city and sees strange things: but no matter what happens, the residents ignore it at any cost. Eventually, the man cannot keep his nose out of their business. revenge (Fukushu) Masayuki Kuramoto. by Kazunori Egusa. Adachi episode, 12:47 min. Directed by Meguro episode, 11:36 min. Directed Sumida episode, Swear on the Finger (Yubikiri) Naomi Kawase (director) Born in 1969 in Nara, critically acclaimed director Naomi Kawase is the winner of numerous international film awards. A graduate of the Osaka School of Photography (now called the School of Visual Arts), she is known for chronicling her own personal growth and pain through themes of family, abandonment, and the cycles of life and death. She became the youngest winner of the Camera D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 with her feature debut film, Suzaku (1996), and Sharasojyu (2003) was in competition at Cannes 2003. Her fourth feature film, The Mourning Forest, won the Grand Prix Cannes 2007. Her new feature film Nanayomachi will be released in Japan this year. NY PrEmIErE NY PrEmIErE 2005, 19 min. Very inappropriately, an ex-girlfriend appears in a man’s apartment, apparently determined to settle things. She succeeds, even if not as planned. Vortex (Kachu no hito) Tradition of Sumida (Sumida-ku no jiba sangyo) 10:58 min. Directed by Yoshiaki Tago. Ota episode, 10:57 min. Directed by Kazutaka. Accuracy of Death (Shinigami no seido) Thursday, July 3 at 8:45 pm & Friday, July 4 at 12:15 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival The charming, handsome Grim Reaper (played by heart throb Takeshi Kaneshiro) visits this world with his dog to observe his assigned targets for seven days before deciding their fates. When assigned to depressed and lonely Kazue, he developes a special relationship with her that lasts for longer than he ever expected. Kaneshiro, star of Chungking Express and House of Flying Daggers returns to Japanese cinema after a five-year absence. Based on Japan’s bestselling novel by Kotaro Isaka. 2008, 113 min., 35mm. Directed by Masaya Kakei. With Takeshi Kaneshiro, Manami Konishi and Sumiko Fuji. Yasukuni Saturday, July 5 at 4 pm & Thursday, July 10 at 6:30 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival Thousands of people pour into Yasukuni Shrine each year on August 15, where the war dead, including war criminals, are enshrined. In this documentary shot over the course of 10 years, director Li Ying tirelessly chronicles those who visit the Shrine from various backgrounds and perspectives—patriotic veterans, extreme nationalists and angry protestors from China and Korea. Ying, born in China and based in Japan, dares to tackle this controversial subject as he interviews a man who made holy Yasukuni swords during WW II. The film juxtaposes the man’s hesitancy to speak about Yasukuni with the chaos and rage that mount at the Shrine every year. Many theaters in Japan canceled the initial engagements of this film, causing a huge controversy on self-censorship through fear of right-wing interventions. Winner of the Hong Kong Film Festival. 2008, 123 min., digital video. Directed by Li Ying. Jin, Hiroki, and me, the Sister (Jin to hiroki to imoto no atashi) Too Nervous Finger (Yubi-kitchou) by Hisana Kanamori. Kita episode, 8:50 min. Directed The Fisherman 2002, 14 min. Directed by Saku Sakamaoto. Slide 002 2005, 4 min. Directed by Takahiro Hirata. Kleenex-man, The Terrorist 2005, 1:56 min. Directed by Shuhei Shibue. Piece 2006, 2:27 min. Directed by Yusuke Koyanagi. *Also screened in Digista Vol. VI *Also screened in JVC Tokyo Video Festival Around 2007, 3:12 min., Directed by Ryu Kato. mr. Cloud and mr. rain 2007, 6:34 min. Directed by Tomoyoshi Joko. The Kinrakuen 2007, Video, 6:30 min. Directed by Daisuke Hagiwara. The Dandelion Sister 2007, 20:30 min. Directed by Yosuke Sakamoto. A Story Constructed of 17 Pieces of Space and 1 maggot 2007, 13:32 min. Directed by Isamu Hirabayashi. to Kawase’s contemplative * Follow the roadmapOrigin of Naomi Kawase: Part 1 & 2 filmmaking in The in SHORT CUTS, on page 5. 4 1
Slide 2: lo n g c u t s c o n t I n u E d. . . MEEt cuts! NY P r E m I E r E * * U.S . P r E m I E r E Sakuran Saturday, July 12 at 8:30 pm & Sunday, July 13 at 12:45 pm Sold into the red light district as a young girl during the Edo period, foul-mouthed, spunky Kiyoha climbs the ladder to become the oiran (head courtesan) after failing to escape from her brothel. In her directorial debut, young, bestselling art photographer Mika Ninagawa brings this popular Japanese manga to the screen with lavish and vibrant period costumes and gorgeous candy-colored sets. Official Selection, Berlin Film Festival 2007. 2007, 111 min., 35mm. Directed by Mika Ninagawa. With Anna Tsuchiya, Masanobu Ando and Miho Kanno. Provocative director Koji Wakamatsu joins the festival via high-definition private network from Japan for a discussion and Q&A following the July 6 screening. Pre-screening talk with Masayuki Kakegawa on the biographical history of the events in the film and writing United red Army on July 6 at 3 pm and July 8 at 6:30 pm. at the red * Get with the scandalscreening. Light Party following the July 12 Special ticket price: $15/$12 Japan Society members United red Army Koji Wakamatsu (director) Born in 1936 in Miyagi, Koji Wakamatsu entered filmmaking as a security guard on location and made his feature directorial debut in 1963 with the pink film (sex film) Sweet Trap. His sex films in the 1960s and 70s carried strong political views, and were widely supported, especially among students. With a 40-year career and 100 films to his credit, Wakamatsu is praised in international film festivals such as Berlin, Vienna and Jeonju, yet is unable to enter the U.S. due to the close affiliation he had with Japanese left wing militants. (Jitsuroku rengosekigun-asama sanso e no michi) Sunday, July 6 at 4 pm & Tuesday, July 8 at 7:30 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival Wakamatsu pushes the boundaries of filmmaking to recapture the historical events of the United Red Army (URA) that led up to what is now infamously known as the “Asama Mountain Lodge Incident” of 1972. This gut-wrenching docudrama portrays the political unrest of 1960s Japan, when student uprisings erupted throughout the country, eventually dovetailing into extreme violence. With most of the members of the defiant left arrested, the remaining factions unite to form the URA and hide out in the mountains for guerilla training. When the URA initiate a process they call “self-criticism,” what had started out ideologically escalates into torture and the execution of fellow comrades. Winner of Netpac, C.I.C.A.E. Awards, Berlin Film Festival 2008. 2008, 190 min., 35mm. Directed by Koji Wakamatsu. With Go Jibiki, Aie Namiki and Maki Sakai. Music by Jim O’Rourke. t u r t l E b ay c u t s A complimentary screening for the community of Turtle Bay and beyond! NY PrEmIErE A Gentle Breeze in the Village (Tennen kokekko) masayuki Kakegawa (screenwriter) Born in 1951 in Yokohama, Masayuki Kakegawa began to work as a staff writer for the weekly magazine Shukan Hoseki in 1981. He has traveled to more than 50 countries, covering stories on the Yugoslavian civil war, the collapse of the Soviet Union, Palestine, the Republic of Zaire (present Congo) and more. After becoming a freelance journalist,he wrote for magazines such as Focus, Weekly Asahi and Forbes Japan. He also edited Wakamatsu’s autobiography Jiko-nashi, while working closely with Wakamatsu on United Red Army as a screenwriter. He is a member of the Japan P.E.N. Club. Sunday, July 13 at 3 pm Based on a popular manga, A Gentle Breeze is a tender coming-ofage love story set deep in Japan’s countryside by director Nobuhiro Yamashita (Linda Linda Linda). When eighth grade cool guy Hiromi transfers from Tokyo to a small elementary/middle school with only six kids enrolled, wholesome and honest Soyo becomes enthralled by his sophisticated world. 2007 Kinema Junpo Best Ten. 2007, 121 minutes, 35mm. Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita. With Kaho and Masaki Okada N Y PrEmIErE Sukiyaki Western Django Saturday, July 5 at 9 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival Takashi Miike, director of Ichii the Killer and Audition, is back again with this homage to the Spaghetti Western. When a mysterious gunman rides into Nebada (Nevada), he finds the peaceful town filled with bloody corpses left behind from the Genji and Heike, warring clans in search of a hidden treasure. Highly sought after for his splendid quick draw, the gunman vacillates between the two clans while concealing his true identity. Guest-starring Quentin Tarantino, this outrageous English-language “Eastern Western” is jam packed with samurai sword-swinging, gun-slinging and Shakespeare-quoting cowboys. In Competition, Venice Film Festival 2007. 2007, 98 min., 35mm. Directed by Takashi Miike. With Hideaki Ito, Yusuke Iseya and Yoshino Kimura. In English. InugaMI x 2: a t r I b u t E to Ko n I c h I K awa To commemorate the death of Kon Ichikawa in February at the age of 92, JAPAN CUTS proudly presents the first-ever subtitled screening of Ichikawa’s The Inugami Family from 1976, a monumental mystery-thriller classic that has influenced numerous film directors in Japan. This tribute also includes his own remake of the film, Murder of the Inugami Clan from 2006, the final film in his prolific career. INT ErNAT IONAL PrEmIErE U.S . P r E m I E r E— CLOS I N G FI Lm U.S. P r E m I E r E Kisaragi Wednesday, July 9 at 8:45 pm & Sunday, July 13 at 5:30 pm When five members of pop star Miki Kisaragi’s online fan club meet for the first time to honor the one-year anniversary of her suicide, what starts out as a cheerful party turns into a terrifying who-doneit, as each man is accused of the gruesome death of their darling. As clues to each man’s relationship to her are slowly revealed, Kisaragi cleverly keeps everyone guessing until the very end. Picture of the Year at the 31st Japan Academy Prize. 2007, 108 min., 35mm. Directed by Yuichi Sato. With live English subtitle projection. With Shun Oguri, Yusuke Santamaria, Keisuke Koide, Teruyuki Kagawa and Muga Tsukaji. Filmful Life (Ichikawa Kon monogatari) Friday, July 11 at 6:30 pm A master of love stories, director Shunji Iwai (All About Lili Chou Chou) recounts Kon Ichikawa’s prolific career (Fires on the Plain, The Inugami Family and The Burmese Harp), particularly focusing on his close romantic and creative partnership with his wife, writer Natto Wada. Iwai’s personal admiration for the director shines throughout the documentary as he commemorates the making of Ichikawa’s Murder of the Inugami Clan, which turned out to be Ichikawa’s final film, as he passed away in February 2008. 2006, 83 min., digital video. Directed by Shunji Iwai. The Inugami Family Friday, July 11 at 8:30 pm 1976, 146 min., 35mm. With live English subtitle projections. With Koji Ishizaka, Mieko Takamine and Yoko Shimada. murder of the Inugami Clan Saturday, July 12 at 5:45 pm 2006, 135 min., 35mm. With Koji Ishizaka, Nanako Matsushima, Sumiko Fuji and Kyoko Fukada. and join * YEE-HAW! Put on those cowboy bootsscreening. the Sukiyaki Western Party after the Special ticket price: $15/$12 Japan Society members. * In conjunction with Inugami x 2: A Tribute to Kon Ichikawa, see page 3. When the wealthy Inugami patriarch dies leaving behind a huge estate, the family lawyer hires detective Kindaichi as a series of mysterious murders occur—from attempted drownings and poisonings to beheadings. A twisted web of deceit, adultery and greed is revealed as the family gathers for the reading of the will, and the race for the inheritance turns even deadlier. Based on the bestselling novel by Seishi Yokomizo, which has been made into three films and five TV series. Life, * Don’t miss FilmfulIwai onthe documentary on Ichikawa by director Shunji July 11, see page 2. N Y PrEmIErE I N TE r N ATI O N AL P r E m I E r E U.S. P r E m I E r E Sad Vacation Sunday, July 6 at 1:15 pm Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival Kenji, played by superstar Tadanobu Asano, swears revenge when he unexpectedly finds his mother, who had abandoned him as a child, now living with a new husband and son. In this sequel to Helpless (1996) and Eureka (2000, winner at Cannes), director Aoyama completes this trilogy with the powerful story of a man who tries to stand against his fate and rejects the blood ties that keep coming back to haunt him. Official Selection, Venice Film Festival 2007. 2007, 136 min., 35mm. Directed by Shinji Aoyama. With Tadanobu Asano, Eri Ishida and Yu Aoi. Gummi, Chocolate, Pine Thursday, July 10 at 9 pm & Saturday, July 12 at 3:15 pm Unemployed and directionless, Kenzo returns to his hometown and reunites with his childhood friends after many years. Flashing back to his 1980s high school years—love, sexual fantasies/frustration and guitar rock—this eccentric story recounts the charm of teenage awkwardness and failed adult ambitions. Based on the bestselling novel by Indie rock star Kenji Otsuki, this is the third feature film by Sandorovich, aka Kera, one of the most sought-after theater writer/ directors in Japan today. 2007, 127 min., digital video. Directed by Keralino Sandorovich. With Takuya Ishida, Mei Kurokawa and Nao Omori. Near Equal Kusama Yayoi: I Adore myself (Near equal Kusama Yayoi—watashi daisuki) Saturday, July 12 at 12:45 pm M E E t c u t s ! Q & A with director Takako matsumoto. The highly anticipated documentary Near Equal Kusama Yayoi: I Adore Myself films wildly charismatic artist Yayoi Kusama (born in 1929) in recent years as she passionately works on a large series of 50 drawings while director Matsumoto attends her gallery opening in New York City, where she lived from 1957–73. The film reveals Kusama’s eccentricities, self-obsession and intense dedication to her art. 2008, 108 min., digital video. Directed by Takako Matsumoto. Takako matsumoto (director) Born in Kanagawa, Matsumoto has produced numerous documentary programs for television as a freelance director. Her film project at Tokai University Cinema Study Group, Chako’s Apa-toru Story, was selected at the 6th Pia Film Festival. Matsumoto began developing a documentary on Kusama after meeting the artist in 1996. In 1999, she worked on the NHK TV special, Artist Kusama Yayoi’s Fantasy World of Darkness of the Heart, which led her to start filming Kusama privately. Near Equal Kusama Yayoi: I Adore Myself is Matsumoto’s theatrical feature debut. 2 The mourning Forest 3