Japanese Female Directors
Ai-chan Monogatari
Dir. Ōno Candice Mana
Japan 2021, 88’
Subtitles: English
A candy-colored tale of a girl who grew up without a mother but finds maternal affection in an unexpected place that’s been nearby all along. Friendless high school student Ai (spelled with the kanji for ′′love′′) spends every evening at home alone under her workaholic father’s strict curfew. One day, she bumps into a blonde, vibrantly dressed transgender woman named Seiko and they quickly form a bond. Ai’s mother died soon after she was born and Seiko provides the motherly warmth Ai has sorely missed. Seiko also inspires an incredibly cute sense of fashion and makeup in Ai, which turns her into a popular pupil at school. Ai turns her back on Seiko but the kaleidoscopic threads eventually lead to the poignant backstory of Ai’s childhood.
Screenings
Kino Kameralne Cafe on September 26 at 2.30 p.m.
Ōno Candice Mana
Born in 1998 in Chiba Prefecture, currently studying at Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2018, her first film Rekishi kara kieta Ono no Komachi (Ono no Komachi, who disappeared from the pages of history) won awards at film festivals and became a topic for numerous discussions. Currently, in addition to performing and working as a film director, including at the SHINPA Film Festival, she also creates music videos (animation), works on paintings and conducts workshops at kindergartens. She particularly admires the works of Tim Burton.
Filmography
2018 Rekishi kara Kieta Ono Komachi
2020 Ningyō
2021 Ai-chan Monogatari / Lovely Little Ai
Cast & Crew
Director: Ōno Candice Mana
Screenplay: Ōno Candice Mana
Cinematography: Kure Masatoshi, Kojima Sho, Obata Tomohiro, Tamura Yu, Sawaki Yugo
Editing: Ōno Candice Mana
Music: Ishikawa Yuta, Nakajima Naoki, Sudo Kaho
Costume Design: Takahashi Ami
Cast: Sakanoue Akane, Kurozumi Hisao, Matsumura Ryo, Hotoda Kan, Mori Eri, Hayashida Takashi, Ueno Sumire, Takeshita Kaori, Yamane Mao, Oikawa Kinnosuke
Producer: Ōno Candice Mana
Language: Japanese
Colouration: Colour
