Part of the 2014 season: East Side Stories

The Drudgery Train

苦役列車 / Kueki ressha

Director Nobuhiro Yamashita

Cast Mirai Moriyama, Kengo Kora, Atsuko Maeda, Makita Sports, Tomorowo Taguchi

2012/105min/English subtitles

19-year-old dropout Kanta (Mirai Moriyama) lives a hopelessly destitute life, fuelled by alcohol and peep-shows, in Japan’s bubble era. After befriending colleague Shoji and landing a date with used-book shop worker Yasuko, the unlikely bookworm Kanta appears to be moving in the right direction, only to discover life is not as easy as he thought.

私小説作家・西村賢太の芥川賞受賞作。父親が性犯罪事件を起こしたことから人生が暗転してしまうというストーリーは、原作者の実体験が基になっている。家賃もろくに払わず、日雇い労働で稼いだ金を酒と風俗につぎ込むだけの自堕落な生活を送る主人公を演じるのは森山未來。物語の設定に合わせて、三畳一間の宿に住み込んで役作りをしたことでも話題を集めた。

Actor Mirai Moriyama will be present at the following screening:

ICA, London – 4 February 2014, 9.00pm

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Past screenings