JAPAN CUTS Award / Special Mention
- World Premiere
Indie Forum
WHOLE
WHOLE
Director: KAWAZOE Bilal (川添ビイラル)
2019｜Japan｜44min｜Language: Japanese｜Subtitles: English
- Cast
- Kai Sandy (海・星野・サンディー)
KAWAZOE Usman (川添ウスマン)
IBUKI Aoi (伊吹葵)
KIKUCHI Meimei (菊池明明)
OZAKI Kou (尾崎紅) - Synopsis
-
Haruki, a biracial student decides to quit college and travel to Japan to better understand his Japanese roots. Upon arrival Haruki experiences racial adversity and struggles to connect with his parents, however, one day Haruki meets a guy named Makoto; a construction worker raised in the projects of Kansai who is also biracial. Although Haruki and Makoto are complete opposites in terms of personality and socioeconomic-status, they quickly form a friendship. Through a series of events, Haruki and Mark grow closer and begin their journey from "Half" to "Whole.”
- Director’s Message/Statement
- One of the reasons why I made this film was because I felt that there is a misrepresentation of mixed-race people in Japanese media. I also felt that there are many untold stories of biracial people here in this country that deserved to be shared. I believe this story holds a universal message and depicts the feeling of emptiness when individuals search for their identity and place in a homogenous society, such as Japan. I hope that through this film I can convey these feelings and ultimately make a positive impact on my society. With my new film "WHOLE", I wish to broaden the audience's perspectives on what classifies as a "Japanese" person.