Sunday, July 17 01:45pm
Japan Society
333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017
One of the most highly regarded Japanese directors on the international scene, with Sayonara Koji Fukada finds a near-future Japan in the midst of a national evacuation brought about by a nuclear disaster. Tanya (Bryerly Long), a South African raised in Japan suffering from a terminal illness, is at the bottom of the departures list. She spends her days with her friend Sano and lover Satoshi, however her constant companion is android caregiver Leona (Geminoid F). Created by robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, Geminoid F reprises her role with Long, both featured in the play by Oriza Hirata on which the film is based. While the post-disaster scenario is ambiguous, it clearly references Japan’s March 11, 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Addressing politically charged taboos, Sayonara asks the question “Can life as we know it survive nuclear catastrophe?”
For tickets visit: http://www.japansociety.org/