Starting his filmmaking career as a student in 2008, with his debut feature Passion, Ryusuke Hamaguchi was prolific in Japan, yet largely unknown internationally. The 2015 release of the slow-burning epic Happy Hour received wide praise and announced the arrival of a refreshing new voice in cinema.
Hamaguchi has two new films out in 2021- Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car. Together with the Asian Film Archive (AFA) screening of Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy under its Releases programme, the AFA is pleased to present a special showcase of selected films from Hamaguchi’s recent career—his last two features as well as two rarely-seen medium-length works. These titles display the breadth and evolution of his artistic trajectory.
Although diverse in tone and approach, Hamaguchi’s oeuvre can be seen as largely defined by a need to excavate and unveil the hidden truths of human relationships and to interrogate performativity, inspired by theatre, dance, and literature.
The four works in the programme are:
Asako I & II ( 寝ても覚めても (2018)
Double Bill:
Touching the Skin of Eeriness
(不気味なものの肌に触れる) (2013) +
Heaven is Still Far Away (天国はまだ遠い) (2016)
Happy Hour (ハッピーアワー) (2015)
* This programme is held in conjunction with
Japanese Film Festival Singapore
Oldham Theatre’s opening hours
Tickets will go on sale Thursday, 23 September 2021.
Friends of AFA members may select the “Friends of AFA” option and enter your membership number if you wish to redeem your remaining complimentary tickets.
For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org
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