Japanese Film Competition (Feature Length)
Utakata ◊ wp◊
- Onsite
- 7.16 (Sun) 11:00 Audio Visual Hall
- 7.20 (Thu) 13:50 Convention Hall
- Online
- 7.22 (Sat) 10:00 - 7.26 (Wed) 23:00
Seijiro, born into a family of renowned architects, returns home after studying in Mexico to celebrate his grandfather's 80th birthday. While his relatives gather, he recalls a trip to take photos of ruins in Japan with Lana, a photographer he met by chance.
©A SUR LLC
Director: Adrien LACOSTE
Cast: Haya NAKAZAKI, Alisa WILD, Masane TSUKAYAMA, Hironobu NOMURA, Mariko AKAMA, Eri KAMATAKI, Shintaro YUYA, Yutaka TANAKA, Sonoko KAMEOKA
2023 / Japan / 125min.
The monochrome imagery of a renowned architect’s majestic mansion at the very beginning of the film instantly fascinates the audience, and draws them into Seijiro’s reminiscences. Then, repetitive flashbacks allow them to relive his agony. This meticulously controlled film is directed by Japan-based French filmmaker Adrien Lacoste, who has already attracted media attention with his short The Future Looked Bright (17), which was selected to various festivals including Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia and Sapporo International Film Festival. He makes his long-awaited feature debut with Utakata. Haya Nakazaki, from We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (21) and One Day, You Will Reach the Sea (22), plays the protagonist, displaying the familiarity with English which he developed during his childhood life in Hawaii. Veteran actors such as Masane Tsukayama and Hironobu Nomura season the film.
Director: Adrien LACOSTE
Lacoste is a French director who makes narrative films, documentaries, commercials and music videos. In 2012, he moved to Japan and began his filmmaking career as an editor and colorist for a Japanese TV station. He then made his way into directing through various experimental projects. In 2017, he wrote and directed his short film The Future Looked Bright, which was selected to Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. Currently, he holds the position of Director/Producer at a Tokyo-based video production company.
Message
I am immensely grateful to the international team that came together to work on this project, overcoming all of the challenges that we faced. This film is deeply personal to me, and it is my sincerest hope that it will reach as many people as possible. My goal for this film was to shed light on the challenges that individuals with mental health issues face on a daily basis. I hope to offer a glimpse into the lived experiences of those dealing with mental illness, and to create a space for open dialogue and understanding.
