Body horror transitions smoothly into pink film (Japanese soft porn) in this story about the young photographer Maya, who is upset by eyes. She pushes her camera into the face of every passer-by. She hounds her victims and penetrates the window into their soul. Neurologist Sata diagnosis her as suffering from an unusual form of phantom pain, the result of her being kidnapped at a young age, an ordeal that ended with her skewering the eye of the kidnapper. Sata asks if he can make a documentary about her. The hunter becomes prey. At the same time, an eye thief roams the city and it turns out that Maya’s former tormentor has not forgotten her.
The violence in this genre-bender is grotesque, the sex disturbing. But in addition, serious subjects are tackled, such as voyeurism and ‘the male gaze’. The act of looking itself is sexualised, and then even totalised. Or as Maya puts it: “I am an eyeball.”
Film details
- Countries of production
- Japan, USA
- Year
- 2016
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2017
- Length
- 102'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
