Japan’s first entry into the Tiger Competition of the IFF Rotterdam since 2014, Yamabuki, directed by Yamasaki Juichiro, is worth a watch for introspection and reflection.
With a selection of over 100+ films, this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is underway from January 26 to February 6. With an abundance of films to be watched, IFFR is the first international festival to jumpstart the year for cinema. Placed after Sundance and right before the Berlinale, IFFR’s vast selections has a movie for everybody interested in film. Whether it be retrospectives of filmmakers you may have never heard of (Cinema Regained section), the young exciting voices of up-and-coming filmmakers (Bright Future section), or the competition sections (Tiger and Ammodo Short Tiger Competition), plus many more that’ll be highlighted in future dispatches, the IFFR has a unique program that isn’t bounded by world premieres or A-list celebrities, but for the love of the artform.
For Japan’s first entry into the Tiger Competition since 2014, Yamasaki Juichiro’s third feature in 11 years, Yamabuki, tells the story of a former renowned South Korean jockey, Yun Chang-su living in the rural town of Maniwa, Japan, and his road for identity and redemption. Filmed on 16mm, the grittiness and technical movement of camera places us in this personal and intimate space between the viewer and Chang-su. Chang-su, now working in construction at a quarry site, is additionally stressed by his debt from his father’s failed business, doing monthly payments and not providing enough for his now family. Chang-su is also in a relationship with a single Japanese mother where the father, has been out of the picture for many years. The many themes of an outsider, redemption, and gratitude are explored gently, especially played by Kang Yoon-Soo. Running in parallel with a second story, Yamabuki Hayakawa, a teenager girl (with a great performance by Kirara Inori) and single child, tries to find her meaning in this small town. The term Yamabuki, plays a double meaning as the Korean meaning draws from it being gold coins used to pay bribes, and in Japanese, a flower. As she weaves through identity, relationships, and meaning, her story crosses path with Chang-su as two lost souls who were dealt unfortunate incidents in their lives, but Juichiro’s gentle and touching redemption of the two is worth a watch for introspection and reflection.
