Voices from Japanese Independent Cinema: Tetsuaki Matsue in Conversation

Born in 1977, Tetsuaki Matsue is at the forefront of the Japanese indie scene. His deceptively simple films subvert and explore the clichés and conventions of the documentary and Adult Video genres, often playfully, while at the same time touching upon areas such as personal and ethnic identity and the unbalanced power relationship between the director and his subject. His 1999 graduation film from the Film School of Tokyo, Annyong Kimchee, explored his own Korean ancestry, while Identity (2004) looked at the plight of non-Japanese performers in the sex film industry within the format of a title made for this market.

Matsue will be in conversation with Jasper Sharp discussing Japan's vibrant independent filmmaking culture and introducing his two most recent titles, both of which are playing at the new Japanese film festival, Zipangu Fest: Annyong Yumika (2009), a documentary portrait of the adult performer Yumika Hayashi following the discovery after her death of an obscure low-budget Korean oddity in which she starred, Junko the Tokyo Housewife, and Live Tape (2009), the one guitar, one camera, one tape and one take live concert film of Kenta Maeno's street performance that won the 2009 Japanese Eyes Best Picture Award at Tokyo International Film Festival and the Nippon Connection 2010 Digital Award.

This event will give the public a chance to put their own questions to Matsue, and will include a screening of his short work The Virgin Wildsides.

The Virgin Wildsides Part 1 (Dotei o prodyuusu, 2007)
Dir. Tetsuaki Matsue, 2006, 32min, Video
The director's lovesick friend is still a virgin at 23. Matsue devises a plan to have him deflowered - with cameras rolling.

All are welcome; the event is free and open to the public, and no booking is required.

Be there on Wednesay November 24th, 3-5pm, at V111, Vernon Square (WC1X 9EW), SOAS (London University School of African and Oriental Studies), Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG.