Maybe a film like this could only be made in Japan. Only there does it seem matter of fact to combine the world of the commercial comic strip (be it manga or not) with melancholy art. Even the people who saw the cult film Dainipponjin by the same maker, will not know what to expect. Surrealism and comedy, or even slapstick. The comic, the sad clown type, is played by the film maker himself. He wakes up in a closed white room. Or maybe he is still dreaming. Strange things happen in the room and the comic dreamer doesn't have much grip on it.
Outside the room, the Mexican wrestler Escargot Man prepares for an important contest. The relationship between the man in the room and the man in the wrestling ring remains puzzling for a long time.
- Director
- Matsumoto Hitoshi
- Country of production
- Japan
- Year
- 2009
- Festival Edition
- IFFR 2010
- Length
- 93'
- Medium
- 35mm
- Original title
- Shinboru
- Languages
- Japanese, Spanish, English, Russian
- Producers
- Okamoto Akihiko, Takemoto Natsue, Konishi Keisuke
- Production Companies
- Yoshimoto Creative Agency Co. Ltd., Phantom Film
- Sales
- Urban Distribution International
- Screenplay
- Matsumoto Hitoshi, Takasu Mitsuyoshi
- Cinematography
- Tohyama Yasuyuki
- Editor
- Honda Yoshitaka
- Production Design
- Aikou Etsuko, Hirai Atsuo
- Sound Design
- Ando Kunio
- Music
- Shimizu Yasuaki
- Cast
- Matsumoto Hitoshi
- Website
- http://www.urbandistrib.com/films/symbol/