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14 November 2021: Director Disqualified

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Director Disqualified
Katsuyuki Hirano, 2011, 111 min
Japanese with English subtitles

One of three films made by director Katsuyuki Hirano on his volatile relationship with porn actress Yumika Hayashi, Director Disqualified is comprised mainly of footage shot by Hirano on a bike trip he made with the actress from Tokyo to Hokkaido’s Rebun Island in 1997. Capturing the complicated, push-and-pull relationship between the pair over several years, it candidly depicts their awkward, unpredictable, sometimes troubling bond, presenting a tragic love story that will likely provoke as many questions in the viewer’s mind as it provides answers.


Screening as part of our Cinema of the Self: Personal Documentary in Japan programme and Japan 2020: Over 100 years of Japanese Cinema, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. bfijapan.co.uk