The documentary Queer Japan talks to LGBTQ+ people all over the country.
Author Archives: Serena Scateni
Serena Scateni is a writer, curator, and programmer. They mostly write about the cinema of Japan and other East Asian countries for various publications, including MUBI Notebook, South China Morning Post, and Sight & Sound.
Our Favorite Experimental Films From the Toronto International Film Festival
Highlights included Ephraim Asili’s striking debut feature The Inheritance and Nicolás Pereda’s Fauna, an inventive story within a story.
Our Top Picks for the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival
Highlights to catch at its first virtual edition include Spike Lee’s David Byrne documentary, a strong slate of Indigenous-led films, and a look at the FBI’s efforts to defame Martin Luther King Jr.
Celebrating the “Wild Ladies” of Japanese Folklore
Aoko Matsuda’s Where the Wild Ladies Are offers a fresh critique of Japan’s stance towards women.
A Dynamic Portrait of Sex Workers Channels Suppressed Rage to Cathartic Ends
Now streaming as part of JAPAN CUTS, Kana Yamada’s Life: Untitled features a wealth of skillfully written characters attuned to Japan’s contemporary social dysfunctions.
How Lynne Sachs Turns Spoken Language Into Cinematic Language
A long-overdue retrospective of the feminist artist and filmmaker demonstrates how she explores communication in her work.
Me and the Cult Leader, an Unlikely Story of Forgiveness
Atsushi Sakahara, the survivor of a terrorist incident, films his journey with the spokesman for the group that committed the attack.
Satoshi Kon’s Sensitive Story of People on the Margins of Society
Recently restored and back in theaters, the 2003 anime film Tokyo Godfathers looks tenderly at street dwellers, who are often ignored in art and the media.
The Political Provocations of a Maverick Japanese Documentarian
Kazuo Hara’s epic Reiwa Uprising, screening at Doc Fortnight, follows members of a new progressive political party trying to shake up the system.