Lumiere Theater 1572 California Street at Polk San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 267-4893
on Oct 28th - Nov 3rd (Limited Engagement)
*Kamikaze Girls Background* Kamikaze Girls is the latest pop-culture phenomenon to take Japan by storm. It began as a best selling novel by cult writer Noval TAKEMOTO. The book was adapted into a comic and then into a film, written and directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. In Kamikaze Girls, he creates a world as colorful as Momoko's sweets-filled lunchbox, infomred in equal parts by slick TV commercials and sentimental Japanese girls' comic books
*Story* Momoko yearns to live in 18th century Versailles, rather than in her back-country hometown of Shimotsuma, heartland of the yakuza. To escape, she loses herself in the dreamy, doll-like fashions of the "Lolita" scene. Her idol is Akinori Isobe, chief designer of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright - her favorite Lolita design house. She often travels all the way to Toky to shop at the store.
One languid summer, to help fund her expensive hobby, Momoko posts brand-name knock-off clothes for sale on the web. She encounters a buyer named Ichiko, who happens to live in her neighbourhood. Super-reble Ichiko is a "Yanki" style member of the Ponytails motorbike gane, one of Ibaraki's wild speed tribes, whose teeth-rattling customized bikes are decked out with shilers and backrests.
Somewhat against Momoko's will, the two slowly develop a strong friendship as they share their feelings and embark on unexpected adventures.
*2005 Film Festival Screenings* LA Film Festival (North American Premiere) NY Asian Film Festival Montreal Fantasia Film Festival (Canadian Premiere) San Francisco Asian Film Festival Dallas Asian Film Festival Hawaii International Film Festival
*Awards* Won 2005 Blue Ribbon Award (Japan) for best new actress Won 2004 Hochi Film Award (Japan) for best new actress Won 2005 Kinema Junpo Award (Japan) for best new actress Won 2005 Mainichi Film Concours for Best Actress, Best Film Direction and New Talent Award
Nominated for Awards of the Japanese Academy for the following: Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.