Via Okinawa

Sai’s first Okinawan film looks back to the Vietnam War era of the 1960s, when Okinawa was essentially a giant US army base. This was the time when some aspects of life began to improve for native Okinawans, long ravaged by poverty, malaria and malnutrition; the huge influx of American troops boosted the economy and created a network of bars and nightclubs to service the needs of young Americans. Sai’s adaptation of a novel by Tonegawa Yutaka centres on aspiring rock singer Eri, the daughter of an American GI father and an Okinawan mother, and her whirlwind romance with Sachio, the leader of a local rock band. With charismatic performances (especially from ex-rocker Ishibashi, future star of Miike’s Audition), riotous design and exhausting displays of energy, this is a blast.