Go

Colour, 35mm
Japan, 2001, 122 min
Section: Horizons - Awarded Films

Synopsis

Sugihara has a decidedly difficult life. He was born in Japan to Korean parents and attended a special school for Korean immigrants there. He suffers from a permanent identity crisis, constantly asking who he is and where he belongs. Even when he is accepted to a Japanese secondary school he still has serious doubts. But he stands out in a positive way thanks to his athletic ability and thus becomes a popular student. He owes his sporting talent to the tough training he got from his father, a former professional boxer. His internal doubts, however, rise back to the surface when he falls in love with a Japanese girl he meets at a party. She doesn’t demur at his first clumsy attempts to attract her and even returns his attentions. But he’s terrified of what she might say about his Korean origins. He’s afraid, rightly or wrongly, that such information might abruptly end their still fragile relationship. Then one night everything changes when an old friend calls Sugihara. The call has unexpected consequences for the vulnerable young man…. FIPRESCI Award at the Palm Springs IFF 2OOl.

About the director

Isao Yukisada (b. 1968) first worked as an assistant director on the films Shunji Iwai Love Letter and Swallowtail Butterfly. His directorial debut bears the title Open House, and his second film, Sunflower, garnered the International Film Critics’ Prize at the 5th Pusan IFF. He is one of the most talented directors of the younger Japanese generation.