With his latest drama film, Funahashi’s delivers a contender for this year’s best Japanese film.
Mar 13, 2023 • Subscribe
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The Burden of the Past (過去負う者, Atsushi Funahashi, 2023)
A series of former prisoners struggle to find a place for themselves after leaving prison in Atsushi Funahashi’s pressing docudrama.
Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.
The burden of foreknowledge
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Side by Side (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A peaceful dream-like visual experience that celebrates both the impact subjects have on each other as well as the manner in which the subject remains opaque to himself…
The Burden of the Past 過去負う者 (2022) Dir: Atsushi Funahashi [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023]
The Burden of the Past by director Atsushi Funahashi is a fierce film about the failure of Japanese society to provide rehabilitation for former criminals. The Burden of the…
Faraway Family (2023) review [OAFF 2024]
A very touching narrative that explores the frail position of the father and how his structural failure can cause subjective struggles and inhibitions.
K: Burden of Kings
When most people think of K Project, they think of it’s flashy style and hot dudes. While there is no doubt there is a heavy focus on these…
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Performing Kaoru’s Funeral (2023) review [OAFF 2024]
Yuasa’s narrative shows that the unavoidable presence of death during a funeral can allow a subject to re-route his own trajectory.
When morning comes, I feel empty (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A slow moving narrative that accumulates in a subtle but touching shift in the subjective position of its protagonist.
Short Movie Time: Kanro (2023) [OAFF 2023]
A simple but effective short that explores inter-subjective distance and the desire to bridge it in a surprising and satisfying way.
The Light Of The Spring (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“An experimental ‘dramamentary’ that succeeds to charm and touch the spectator with its rich mundane and genuine interactions.”
People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
Kaneko convincingly shows that the symptomatic usage of the plushie attempts to repair the tensive bond with the Other or subdue its overbearing presence.
Lupin the 3rd: Prison of the Past Review
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Short Movie Time: Detouring Blue (2023) (OAFF 2023)
A highly recommended short that touchingly shows that what dooms the subject to the de-subjectifying effect of the societal Other or to the birth of a subjective deadlock…
Short Movie Time: TOMA #2 (2023) [OAFF 2023]
A touching narrative that explores the difficulty for the subject to give the Othering effect of dementia on a family member a place
Sanka: Nomads of the Mountains (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“A visually enticing narrative that elegantly explores the unresolvable tension between the societal Other and the subject.”
Short Movie Time: After Winter, the Tamaki Family… (2023) [OAFF 2023]
A genuine and heartfelt tribute the grandmother of the Tamaki family
Memories of this Scent (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
An endearing and fragrance rich tale of subjective change.
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Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.
Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A complex character portrait that touchingly illustrates how easy it is to misrecognize the logic of the subject-supposed-to-be-in-need.
Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.
Coping with Trauma and the Burden of Leadership in Maid-sama!
Juggling respect and likability is a tightrope many women are forced to walk. This intricate dance of cultivating social and professional balance is what first drew me to…
Short Movie Time: Ririka of the Star (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that does not merely emphasize the beauty of moving female body, but reveals that such beauty can change subjects.
Ask For The Moon (2022) review [OAFF 2024]
A satisfying narrative that illustrates how the subject’s ego is but a response to his complexes and struggles.
Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry
Random Call (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
Ohkanda’s narrative proves that one does not need a big budget to deliver a narrative that touches the spectator.
Goto-san (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“Gokan expertly reveals the position of the freeter as an attempt to escape the capitalistic machinery but also as a position that most easily falls prey to the…
Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A subtle but playful narrative about a subject who slowly tries to crawl out the hole of emptiness and diminished self-worth.
Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“Kahori Higashi’s debut is impressive.”
Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A pleasant narrative that offers a fresh but familiar exploration of the subject’s fundamental desire for recognition/love and the problematic yet medicative function of consumption.
Angry Son (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“An incredibly rich and deep narrative that not only delivers a satisfying coming-of-age story but also an elegantly delivered social commentary on some of the frictions marking Japanese…
Kushida’s Secret Past – Classroom of the Elite S2 Ep 8 Review
Kushida reveals her secret past to both Horikita and Ayanokoji while making a plan to expel both students due to their knowledge of her split personality.
Synduality Noir #20 — Idiots of the Past
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Review: Tale of the Night (2023)
Tale of the Night 长沙夜生活 China, 2023, colour, 16:9, 105 mins. Director: Zhang Ji 张冀. Rating: 7/10. All-through-the-night ensembler, set in Changsha, has involving performances and plenty of…
The Wonder Of a Summer Day (2022) [OAFF 2022]
“A visually pleasing narrative that underlines, in a charming and touching way, the importance for the subject to find the kind of signifiers that can unlock his/her deadlock.”
Spiraken Manga Review Ep 277: Arakawa Under The Bridge (or The Burden of Being In Debt To Someone Else)
In this podcast episode, Xan decides to live a transient lifestyle with some crazy people, so sit back and relax as he reviews the comedy manga series "Arakawa Under…
Our House Party (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
Kawanobe delivers a very touching and emotional story about homosexuality in Japan.
Sweet Bitter Candy (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“An amazing exploration of the clash between a sweet youthful romantic desire and the bitter urge of a wounded subject to defend his subjective wounds.”
Short Movie Review: Natsuko (2020) [OAFF 2022]
“A splendid debut by Shuna Iijima.”
Moving Passed the Past
What does fooly cooly even mean!? FLCL (fooly cooly) is a 2000 anime from Gainax (Evangelion), who formed an eventual offshoot of Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill), which shows…
(Don’t) Fight the Past
An anime about past mistakes correcting the past mistakes of its movie… kind of. Scott Pilgrim vs the World took the younger generation, one much more intertwined with and…
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Tsukushi faces more than just bullying from her peers and the controlling grasp of Domyouji. She also must carry the additional burden of financial instability and the pressure…
Short Movie Time: Shall We Love You? (2022) [OAFF 2023]
A nice little heart-warming short that questions the connection between love and happiness.
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