Summary
An aesthetically immersive audio-visual exploration of the fine line between perception of beauty. it examines what we choose to show the world while also skewering some ingrained gender attitudes in Japan (and around the world).
Film has always been about the gaze, presenting its subjects through the lens of a filmmaker’s filter. So, when we think about some of the great films involving photographers, from Rear Window to Blow-Up to Get Out, their power lies in finding out what happens when that gaze is reversed.
So is the case with WOMAN OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS (写真の女), a film ostensibly about a shy photographer Kai (Hideki Nagai), a man who has rarely been able to engage well with women. He retouches photos of women in Photoshop as part of his business, including one woman (Toki Koinuma) who wants an idealised version of herself for a dating profile.
His outlook begins to change when he encounters Kyoko (Itsuki Otaki) in the forest, an Instagram follower who has quite literally fallen out of a tree. After helping her out, she asks him to to digitally remove her scars in her photos. Yet as their relationship grows, Kyoko has second thoughts about showcasing a ‘false’ version of herself to her followers.
Which is the strongest through-line of this fascinatingly immersive picture. There have been countless films that have attempted to dissect the culture of influencers and the idea of self-image, yet few have done so with as many layers as this. The dichotomy of the influencer on the cusp of self-realisation and an isolated male with the burning seeds of resentment is a timely one. The praying mantis is a recurring motif, for example, one that speaks to Kai’s perception of women up until this point.
“I believe that myself reflected in the eyes of others is my true self.”
Like his previous short film Voice, there’s long moments without dialogue that emphasise the sounds of nature, eating or other ASMR delights. Indeed, if there was ever a movie that stopped to look at the details – plants, signs, mirrors – this is it.
Reminiscent of the Japanese New Wave filmmakers like Hiroshi Teshigahara, moments of intimacy such as a shared meal are filled with amplifications of every sound. A dripping tap serves as a find of pulse for the moment.
“You got drowned in yourself and vanished,” is the message following a dream sequence, one that coincides with Kyoko’s stripping of her façade to her Insta audience. Yet while this surface message is clear, that of the image-obsessed 21st century eating its self, there is so much to unpack here. Like an old photo album, or a modern photo stream, you may find yourself flicking back through this at a later date and discovering something you’d completely forgotten about.
2020 | Japan| DIRECTOR: Takeshi Kushida | WRITER: Takeshi Kushida | CAST: Toshiaki Inomata, Toki Koinuma, Hideki Nagai | DISTRIBUTOR: Fantasia Festival 2020 (Canada) | RUNNING TIME: 84 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 20 August – 2 September 2020 (MIFF)
Read more coverage of Japanese cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Japan with more film from Asia in Focus.
