Overview
Though still not well known in the West, Yuya Ishii is one of Japan's most exciting and prolific young filmmakers, cranking out six remarkable features in the last five years. His films are perhaps best described as funky, rambling comedies, usually focusing on the lives of misfits. They also present a view of contemporary Japan in decline that we don't often see. A very special artist (and only 27 years old), Yuya has a sincerity and compassion which is rare in most American independent cinema. We present his two newest films, never before seen in the Bay Area
Events
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Sawako DecidesJan 13, 2011 8:30pm
Screening RoomThe best film released in 2010? Quite possibly. In this loopy tale of female empowerment, Sawako is a clueless young woman who embraces her own mediocrity. She quits her miserable, humiliating job in Tokyo to return to her hometown. Though pretty much everything that happens there is a disaster, she finally begins to make sense of her life and herself. It’s a bold claim, but the last scene is one of the most moving (and shocking) scenes in the history of cinema. Do not miss this film. (2010, 112 min, 35mm)
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To Walk Beside YouJan 14, 2011 8:30pm
Screening RoomUS Premiere
In this offbeat and often beautiful film, Norio is 17 and wants to die. After his parents' suicide, he feels it's the only choice. But his teacher Akemi shows him a very different path: move to Tokyo and become a lawyer. But now that he has a benefactor and a reason to live, Norio has to figure out how to make that a life worth living. To Walk Beside You is absurdist tragicomedy at its most poignant. (2009, 90 min, digital) -
Sawako Decides — Sunday MatineeJan 16, 2011 2:00pm
Screening RoomThe best film released in 2010? Quite possibly. In this loopy tale of female empowerment, Sawako is a clueless young woman who embraces her own mediocrity. She quits her miserable, humiliating job in Tokyo to return to her hometown. Though pretty much everything that happens there is a disaster, she finally begins to make sense of her life and herself. It’s a bold claim, but the last scene is one of the most moving (and shocking) scenes in the history of cinema. Do not miss this film. (2010, 112 min, 35mm)
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To Walk Beside You— Sunday ScreeningJan 16, 2011 5:00pm
Screening RoomUS Premiere
In this offbeat and often beautiful film, Norio is 17 and wants to die. After his parents' suicide, he feels it's the only choice. But his teacher Akemi shows him a very different path: move to Tokyo and become a lawyer. But now that he has a benefactor and a reason to live, Norio has to figure out how to make that a life worth living. To Walk Beside You is absurdist tragicomedy at its most poignant. (2009, 90 min, digital)
Curator Statement
Like Ne change rien (Jan 20), Yuya’s two works are part of our investigation of the personal and address this idea directly. His films are about people who just don’t quite fit in, and are struggling to find their place in the world. They can be humorous, but they are much more than that. These are deeply human stories, which cut across cultures and defy simple interpretations. — Joel Shepard, Film/Video Curator
YBCA's programs are made possible in part by:
The San Francisco Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Koret Foundation
Adobe Foundation Fund
Novellus
YBCA Film/Video media sponsor:
SF Weekly
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