Festival 2022
What She Likes… (UK Premiere)
Japan, 2021
FeatureUK Premiere
Directed by
Shogo Kusano
Shogo Kusano
Running time
121 min mins
121 min mins
Jun Ando is a high school boy who is concealing his homosexuality. He meets Sae Miura, a female classmate and closet Boys Love comic fan. The two become close until one day, Sae confesses her love for Jun. But she doesn’t know that Jun is gay and has a lover, Makoto, an older married man. They start to go out on dates, but as adorable and charming as Jun finds Sae, he can’t love her romantically. With Jun unable to tell anyone the truth about his sexuality, the couple’s strictly platonic relationship starts to show cracks. Can they find a concrete shape to the ideals they cherish? Based on an acclaimed novel, What She Likes sensitively depicts the troubled inner lives of teens, portrayed by a young cast who give terrific performances.
Tickets
Currently unavailable
Director Bio
Born in 1984 in Gunma Prefecture, Shogo Kusano made a feature-length film, Mogera Wogura, while studying at university, which gained a national release. His films since then include Empty (2012), Bittersweet (2016), and The Longest Photo in The World (2018), which was hailed as a masterwork in the ‘spring of youth’ film genre. He has been the main director for several TV dramas and has also directed music videos, live performances, and numerous works outside the realm of feature films.
Trailer