The Passion / Junan
Directed by Ryoko Yoshida
With Mayuko Iwasa, Kanji Furutachi,
Yasushi Fuchikami, Kumiko Ito
Japan, 2013, 95 minutes
When: Friday, July 18, 2014 @ 6:30 PM
Where: Japan Society
333 East 47th Street NYC
(Between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
International Premiere
Original novel shortlisted for the prestigious Naoki Prize
A singular deadpan comedy, The Passion tells a story of a young woman raised in a convent named Frances-ko (Mayuko Iwasa), after Saint Francesco. Distressed by not knowing about love and sex, she calls out for a sign from above, but instead hears a voice from below. A human-faced growth speaks to her from between her legs, constantly berating her, calling out "Woman, you are worthless!" Mr. Koga, as she names it, continues the verbal abuse, yet Frances-ko somehow adapts, forming an adversarial yet symbiotic relationship.
This bizarre film, based on Kaoruko Himeno's acclaimed 1997 novel of the same name, is skillfully directed by Ryoko Yoshida, lensed by veteran cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, grounded by Iwasa's show-stopping performance and enlivened by the hilarious Kanji Furutachi, who lends his voice to the chauvinistic Koga. The soundtrack boasts an unmissable eclectic score by legendary experimental musician and composer Otomo Yoshihide. (Synopsis courtesy Japan Society)
This screening of The Passion is part of JAPAN CUTS 2014.
