INTRODUCTION
MODERN LOVE is director Takuya Fukushima’s new feature film after eight years. One of his earlier films, OUR BRIEF ETERNITY, released nationwide, was highly acclaimed at the Tokyo International Film Festival and film festivals around the world.
His TIME IS ON MY SIDE was accepted for the Pia Film Festival, and JAM received the Jury Incentive Award at the Mito Short Film Festival. After those achievements, Fukushima made his sensational major debut with PRISM in 2001. Since then, as a director, Takuya Fukushima has been described as “outrageously gifted,” “distinguished” and “a leading figure in the independent film sphere.”
Fukushima has been filming with themes such as “city and memory” and “reality and unreality” over twenty years since the nineties, which have been acclaimed at the independent film scene. In 2016, a special screening titled ESCAPE FROM THIS FUCKIN WORLD was held, and his LEGACY TIME, a short film which opened theatrically after the world premiere in Germany, in which other fifteen masterpieces showed.
Fukushima’s latest film MODERN LOVE started as a new project following the success of the special screening. The film describes the loneliness and mental conflict of a woman who lost her boyfriend, and the wavering emotions which followed. While the story is set in Tokyo where events underlining the film’s themes mainly take place, filming was also carried out in rural areas of Japan as well as overseas. This is a psycho-fantastic and heart-aching youth film that clearly demonstrates his talent as a film director.
The leading role is played by Azusa Inamura. She has gained popularity due to her performance in the radio drama NISSAN BEYOND THE AVERAGE, and has earned acclaim for acting in plays written by Kohei Tsuka. After giving a great performance in Fukushima’s last film LEACY TIME, she was chosen to play the leading role in this film. She performed a challenging triple role which goes back and forth through a parallel world. Her co-actor is Takuro Takahashi, who is a regular actor in Fukushima’s films. The supporting roles are played by Yota Kawase and Kota Kusano, who are both indispensable actors in Japanese films. Leo Imamura, the vocalist of rock band The John’s Guerrilla also performed a key role.
This is a science fiction, as well as a philosophical and a totally unexpected story. The story asks the question, “What is true love?” This film is surely entertaining, and definitely one of a kind.
STORY
Tokyo, at present.
NASA announces the discovery of a new planet in the solar system, Emanon, where life might exist. The shocking news spread throughout the world, then a fad of the new planet emerges. Despite people’s enthusiasm, abnormal weather events occur frequently.
Working part-time at a travel agency, Mika (Azusa Inamura) is doing her Master’s degree in theoretical physics. She hasn’t been able to get over Teru, her boyfriend who disappeared five years ago. Mika looks like an ordinary graduate student. As a matter of fact, she spends every day talking to Teru in her delusions while hunting men using a dating app to distract herself from the loneliness. Seeing Mika like this, her best friend, Shige (Seicho Yoshino), a gay man, and Takayama (Mutsumi Sato), her senior at her graduate school laboratory, are concerned for her.
One day, Mika suddenly experiences déjà vu and meets a version of herself. Both Mikas are startled to see each other, and they fall into a perplexing situation. Mika goes to see Bird (Leo Imamura), Teru’s best friend, and she meets a third Mika there. It is revealed that three of them exist in the different world lines. Bird says that Emanon might have caused the parallel world to intertwine.
Three Mikas: one lives in a world where Teru disappeared; the second one lives in a world where she meets Teru and their romance begins; the third one lives in a world where Teru has already passed away. The worlds where the three of them live start to loop. Due to Emanon, some kind of errors occur in space and time.
DIRECTOR
Takuya Fukushima
Born on September 19, 1972
a member of Directors Guild of Japan
Takuya Fukushima has been releasing numerous video works since 1992, when he was studying at the department of literature at Nagoya University. After working under Gakuryu Ishii (aka: Sogo Ishii), he established P-kraft which has been the base of his activities thereafter.
Fukushima directs TV programs, commercials, PVs and he is also highly rated as a film director both in Japan and overseas. His first film PRISM marked a record high of visitors at the theater where the film was released. OUR BRIEF ETERNITY was officially screened at film festivals around the world starting with Tokyo International Film Festival, then later being released in theaters throughout Japan. In 2016, a special screening titled ESCAPE FROM THIS FUCKING WORLD/TAKUYA FUKUSHIMA’S COLLECTION was held to commemorate the release of his latest film LEGACY TIME which was highly acclaimed.
The newest film ‘MODERN LOVE’ got prize in Nice International Film Festival, Japan Film Fest Hamburg and Madrid International Film Festival.
He is also actively working as a producer, actor, writer, musician, radio personality and an all-round creator.
works
1997 “TIME IS ON MY SIDE”（Director, screenwriter, music and actor）Pia Film Festival
1999 “Be with you at the end of the world”（director and screenwriter）Michinoku International Mystery Film Festival etc.
“JAM”（director, screenwriter and main actor）Mito Short Film Festival(Jury Prize) etc.
2001 “PRISM”（director and screenwriter / theatrical film）Souel International Queer Film Festival, Japan-Nordic New Cinema Festival etc.
2003 “Freedom”（director, screenwriter and main actor / theatrical film）Thai Short Film Festival etc.2004 “the point(2,8,16)”（director and screenwriter / theatrical film）Thai Short Film Festival, Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival etc.
2005 “Cross The Lens”（director and cinematographer / theatrical film）
2006 “days of”（producer, director and screenwriter / theatrical film as an omnibus “over8”）
2007 “Naked over8”（associate producer / theatrical film）
2008 “Girl-Girl over8”（executive producer / theatrical film）
2009 “OUR BRIEF ETERNITY”（director, screenwriter, producer and actor / theatrical film）Tokyo International Film Festival etc.
2012 “Gorgeous Princess!”（director / theatrical film as an omnibus “Virgin”）Camera Japan Film Festival
2013 “SAYONARA BRIEF ETERNITY”（director, screenwriter and cinematographer）Japan-Filmfest Hamburg etc.
2016 “LEGACY TIME”（director, screenwriter and producer / theatrical film）Japan-Filmfest Hamburg etc.