Japanese Female Directors
Hadashi de Narashite Misero
Dir. Kudō Riho
Japan 2021, 128’
Subtitles: English
Naomi works for his father’s disposal business, picking up people’s junk day in and day out. He keeps some choice finds for himself in a private garage, where he wishes for a better life away from home. One day, he runs into a young man named Maki at the local swimming pool. Maki lives with his blind adoptive mother, Midori. After being hospitalized, Midori entrusts her dream of traveling the world to Maki, but the savings she gifts him aren’t enough. Instead, Maki and Naomi utilize an old cassette recorder to ‘visit’ famous natural wonders of the world, recreating them sonically. Like an amateur foley team, they employ makeshift items and locations to simulate Italy’s Blue Grotto, Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, and South America’s Iguazu Falls Naomi begins spending more time away from his disappointed girlfriend and father to be with Maki. As their bond deepens, the pair’s playful roughhousing escalates into more serious physical battles of will until their relationship reaches a breaking point.
Awards and Festivals
Nippon Connection Japanese Film Festival 2022 - Nippon Visions Jury Award - Special Mention
Screenings
Kino Kameralne Cafe on September 27 at 9 p.m.
Kudō Riho
She was born in 1995 in Fukuoka Prefecture. She was inspired to pursue a career in filmmaking by reading Nishi Kanako’s book Sakura. She graduated from Kyoto University of the Arts with a degree in film studies, and her graduation film Orphan's Blues (2018) won the Grand Prix and the Hikari TV Award at the 40th PIA Film Festival. The film also won the Audience Award and the Golden Kojika Award at the Nara Film Festival. She won a PFF scholarship for her commercial debut Let Me Hear it Barefoot. The film was selected for the 51st Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Harbour section and was invited to screen at the Giffoni Film Festival (Italy, July 2022).
Filmography
2018 Orphan's Blues
2021 Hadashi de Narashite Misero / Let Me Hear it Barefoot
Cast & Crew
Director: Kudō Riho
Screenplay: Kudō Riho
Cinematography: Sasaki Yasuyuki
Editing: Yamazaki Azusa
Music: Fujii Soma
Costumes: Fujiwara Chihiro
Cast: Sasaki Shion, Suwa Shuri, Kōmoto Masahiro, Fubuki Jun, Ito Kaho, Takabayashi Yukiko, Kimura Tomoki, Tanri, Marui Wan, Hosokawa Yoshitaka
Producer: Amano Mayumi
Production: Erice Company
Language: Japanese
Colouration: Colour
