Archive of films Dolls / Dolls

Japan
2002, 113 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2003

Three stories from contemporary Japan are fusing together in a sad tale of love, performed by the traditional Bunraku puppet theatre. Matsumoto and Sawako are in love but the boy’s parents intend to marry him off to someone else. Hiro is a Jakuza boss who swapped love for power and wealth. And pop star Haruna Yamaguchi thinks she has lost everything after a car accident…

Synopsis

Matsumoto and Sawako loved each other deeply, but the boy’s parents had other plans. They forced the young man to leave Sawako after selecting him a bride, the daughter of a wealthy business partner. The desperate Sawako tried to commit suicide but, even though her life was saved, she subsequently lost her memory. Matsumoto then returned to her and now, the poorest of the poor, they wander the countryside. Their wanderings last four seasons…. Hiro is a powerful boss of the Japanese yakuza, but although he has power and money, he is a lonely man. Thirty years ago he worked in a factory, his sweetheart brought him lunch each day and they dreamt of a life together. But Hiro wanted more and started a life of crime. He now returns to the place where he was once happy in order to seek his lost love…. Haruna Yamaguchi used to be a famous pop star, but after a car accident she hides her disfigured face from the eyes of the world. She spends most of her time on an isolated beach, keeping to herself. Perhaps the blind Nukui, who adores her from a distance, will have be lucky… Three stories set in the present about the misfortunes of love, fuses in the traditional puppet theatre Bunraku.

About the director

Takeshi Kitano (b. 1947, Tokyo), Japanese screenwriter and director, began acting on stage from the mid-1970s. Using the pseudonym Beat Takeshi he also established himself as a journalist, songwriter, author and showman. He got his first film role in 1980, but made it big three years later with the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, by director Nagisa Oshima. He has acted in fourteen films (e.g. Johnny Mnemonic, Tokyo Eyes). As a director he debuted with the film Violent Cop, which was followed by Boiling Point, A Scene at the Sea, Getting Any?, Kids Return, Kikujiro and Brother. The film Sonatine was screened at the Cannes IFF in 1993 and won first prize at the festival in Taormina. The film Fireworks (Hana-Bi) won the Golden Lion at the Venice IFF in 1997. Dolls is his tenth film, screened in competition at the 2002 Venice IFF, and at the Toronto IFF that same year.

Contacts

Celluloid Dreams
2, rue Turgot, 75009, Paris
France
Tel: +33 149 700 370
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.celluloid-dreams.com

Office Kitano
5-4-14 Akasaka, Minatoku, 152 0022, Tokyo
Japan
Tel: +81 3 5572 7099
Fax: +81 3 3589 0667
E-mail: [email protected]

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About the film

Color, 35 mm

Section:	Horizons

Director:	Takeshi Kitano
Screenplay:	Takeshi Kitano
Dir. of Photography:	Katsumi Yanagijima
Music:	Joe Hisaishi
Editor:	Takeshi Kitano
Producer:	Masayuki Mori, Takio Yoshida
Production:	Office Kitano
Cast:	Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi
Contact:	Celluloid Dreams, Office Kitano

www:	http://dolls.supergazol.com

Guests

Pierre Menahem

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