Interview: Actor Denden – Uzumaki, Cold Fish, Himizu

“I found it really difficult. It was really hard because it was so real!” (Denden on filming Himizu)

Between 13 – 15 April 2012, actor Denden attended the Terracotta Far East Film Festival in London to promote the theatrical release of Himizu, a hard-hitting film by maverick film director Sion Sono (Love Exposure, Guilty of Romance) set soon after the 3/11 Japan earthquake/tsunami in which Denden plays a brute money lender, a character-type he is best known for to Western audiences. But in reality he is a very warm, funny, friendly man, which is a

DVD/Blu-ray Review: Himizu – A Film By Sion Sono

A boy and a girl struggle to survive a harsh and unsympathetic world!

Himizu is an adaptation of a manga by Furuya Minoruset that takes place soon after the earthquake/tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011. It tells the story of a 14-year-old boy, Yuichi Sumida (Shota Sometani), who wants nothing more than to live a ‘mundane’ life, hence the title of the film which means “mole”. Although his parents have abandon him, his father, whom wishes him dead, returns every so often to give him a beating and take what little money he has. Yuichi’s only friends are a group of destitute survivors and

NEO’s Profile Series Continues With Maverick Filmmaker Sion Sono

NEO magazine issue 99 on sale from 14th June 2012!

In the latest edition of NEO’s profile series, Diverse Japan’s creator and administrator, Spencer Lloyd Peet, focuses on controversial film director Sion Sono, best known for his films Cold Fish, Guilty of Romance, and his latest release, Himizu. Other exciting features in issue 99 include:

NEO MAGAZINE PREPARES for a sizzling summer as Manga’s hit series Spice and Wolf graces the

Himizu – Sion Sono’s Latest Film In Cinemas From June 1st

‘Himizu’, the award-winning film from Japanese director Sion Sono opens in cinemas across the UK on June 1st.

The new film from Sion Sono (Love Exposure, Cold Fish) Himizu tells the powerful story of two teenagers’ struggle to live in dystopian future Japan destroyed by a natural disaster. When young Yuichi is pushed too far he embarks on a violent campaign of revenge against society’s evil doers and it’s up to Keiko who is desperately in love with him to try to bring him back to the path of a decent man. A heart-rending drama and tender love story, Himizu features startling performances from