Amiko
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Film description
Amiko sees the world very differently from her peers. Withdrawn from reality, she likes to march to the beat of her own drum, and shapes the surrounding reality according to her inner narration, often explaining it in magical terms. She can be both defiant and somehow naive, often saying whatever comes to her mind, which makes her an outcast at school. As she awaits the arrival of her new sibling, she spends most of her time with her older bother, exploring the outskirts of Hiroshima. When Amiko's family is faced with a loss, the girl will have to find a new way to cope with reality.
Yusuke Morii's film is not just another tender tale about family ties. In his surprisingly mature debut, the Japanese director focuses not on the warm, loving hearth and home, but on the roots of systemic violence within the school system and toxic family relations. He also changes the tone of his story in a fascinating way, going from magical realism to the convention of a gloomy drama about the entangling patriarchal schemes. He leaves a lot unsaid, suspended in hinting gestures. Despite that, "Amiko" is mostly an invitation to enter the boundless imagination of a child, filled with ideas, amazement with the surrounding world, and the delicate music of Ichiko Aoba.
text:
Łukasz Mańkowski
Yusuke Morii
Born in 1985. Studied film at the Nihon Institue of Cinema. He began his career as the assistant to Tatsushi Omori. His debut feature "Amiko" is an adaptation of "Kochira Amiko," a book by Natsuko Imamura. The European premiere of the film took place at the Rotterdam IFF.
2023 Amiko / Kochira Amiko
