Lazarus Episode 1-2-0

A film in three parts. The first episode made (part 0) is shown as the last. So first episode 1 (The Pale Horse), then part 2 (The Replicated Ruin) and finally part 0 (The House of the Rising Sun).
Only part 0 has ever been seen outside Japan. Parts 1 and 2 are also new for Japan and are being screened here for the first time.
In Japan, the trilogy is presented under the title Mayumi, which is the name of the protagonist. Mayumi is a woman who tries to keep her head above water in a country community that is suffering economically from the arrival of a large concern.
In part 0 of the series, Mayumi’s sister Naoko suddenly appears after years of absence. Mayumi receives her with mixed feelings. She recovers from her aversion, but sometime later, the fickle Naoko will be the cause of a dramatic turn in her life – if you could still call it a life.
All possible means are used to combat the cause of the village’s economic demise. Mayumi is drowned, but returns as an avenging angel: she has returned from the dead as Lazarus (the international title).
In many regards, the series tells a very Japanese story about a very Japanese situation. So it’s not strange that the film maker is quite curious about the reactions of a European audience to his special undertaking. (GjZ)

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