Tokyo, 1965. Concerned about lax public morals, the government introduces anti-prostitution laws, leaving sex workers facing harsh crackdowns. However, as the law only applies to women, it creates a loophole for trans sex workers (known as ‘blue boys’) who are legally male. Frustrated, the police instead make an example of the doctor who carried out their gender reassignment surgery, putting him on trial. Seeking to demonstrate that the surgery was proper medical practice, his lawyer decides to call trans women as witnesses. Deeply moving and based on real-life events, this riveting courtroom drama showcases some exciting trans talent: director Kasho Iizuka, and actress Miyu Nakagawa, who gives a complex, dignified performance as the unassuming star witness.
Kashou Iizuka
106 mins
Born in 1990 in Gunma Prefecture, Kasho Iizuka studied under director Kichitaro Negishi and screenwriter Masato Kato. As a transgender filmmaker, their work is deeply informed by personal identity. Their semi-autobiographical film Our Future (Bokura no Mirai) first gained recognition after winning at the Pia Film Festival, before being officially selected for the Vancouver International Film Festival and the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, where it received wide acclaim both in Japan and internationally. In 2019, Kasho Iizuka received the Filmex New Director Award, presented to emerging directors whose future work shows exceptional promise. In 2022, their film Futari no Sekai (The Two of Us) achieved an impressive five-week theatrical run at Shinjuku Cinema Qualite. Their latest work, The World Is Not Aware of Us (Sekai wa Bokura ni Kizukanai), received the Coming Talent Award at the Osaka Asian Film Festival, an honour given to filmmakers expected to shape the future of Asian cinema.
