Fukutsu Kenzo

The film consists of five films about Yamato in the post-COVID period. Tominaga's "The Fourth Eye" depicts a bewildered father who is introduced to his stepfather by his estranged daughter; Kiyohara's "The Light of March" tells the story of a woman who becomes pregnant at a young age and tries to flee the town. Takeuchi's "Makie no Bouken" (Makie's Adventure), Yamamoto's "Ano Hi, Kono Hi, Sono Hi" (Ano Hi, Kono Hi, Sono Hi), about a city employee who goes around taking video letters for people who are retiring, and Miyazaki's "Eri-chan to Kumi-chan no Long, Mundane Day" (Eri-chan to Kumi-chan no Long, Mundane Day), about two people who have too much time on their hands to bury a time capsule in a forest on the outskirts of town.

In an audacious reworking of the biopic, this ensemble drama sees jazz pianist Minami Hiroshi’s memoir cleverly reinterpreted into a surreal and playful story about chasing dreams, disillusionment and the inner lives of professional artists. Closer to playing two sides of the same coin than tackling a dual role, Ikematsu Sosuke embodies two versions of Minami – the naïve upstart and the jaded pro – who magically cross paths as they become entangled with a cast of colourful characters in the seedy alleyways and jazz clubs of Ginza over a single night.

Shirasaki Yuki, a rookie actor, finally lands an audition and is chosen to star in a BL drama alongside current superstar Hayama Asami, who was also his senior at university. Feeling anxious and troubled before his first major role, Shirasaki is approached by Hayama with the proposal to form a “romantic relationship for the sake of character development” until the filming concludes. Their pseudo-romantic involvement off-screen leads to a moving and beautifully crafted love story exploring the intricacies of relationships within the entertainment industry and among actors.