TOKYO– Naked and frail, a shaggy-haired man films himself as he endures loneliness in a small room for months, and months more.
“The Contestant,” directed by Clair Titley, explores the story behind the hit late-1990s Japanese reality show “A Life in Prizes,” in which a comedian nicknamed Nasubi is forced to survive on whatever he can get by. redeem by mail. coupons, since he is denied contact with the outside world.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and will stream on Hulu starting May 2.
Tomoaki Hamatsu, whose nickname “Nasubi,” which means eggplant in Japanese, jokingly refers to his long chin, never manages to get dressed and remains naked throughout the show. But he dances to celebrate the things he gets, especially food, even if it’s just a pot of kimchi.
Canada’s National Post, in a review of Titley’s documentary, described the television show as “‘The Truman Show’ meets ‘OldBoy,'” referring to the 1998 American film starring Jim Carrey about a man who , unknowingly starring in a reality show about his own life and the 2003 Cannes-winning Korean film about an imprisoned man.
British director Titley said she came across the reality show and contacted Nasubi because she felt no one had told her side of the story.
“I felt like they were a little dismissive and even dismissive to a certain extent, you know, look at those crazy Japanese people. And I really wanted to know Nasubi’s story. “I really wanted to know what had happened to him, why he had stayed there,” he said in a recent Zoom interview with The Associated Press.
What makes his documentary more than just a great satire on Japan for laughs are the interviews Titley conducts with Hamatsu’s mother, sister and friend, who express outrage, sadness, pride and a mix of other emotions as that the program was growing. a prime time hit. They said they were sorry for what she endured, including her nakedness.
The film also explores Hamatsu’s childhood experience of being bullied because of his long chin and how he resorted to laughter to protect himself.
Hamatsu says the hardest part of the show was the loneliness, although being without clothes (and very little food) for a year and three months also took its toll. The comedian was moved to tears when he received a standing ovation at the screening of the documentary in New York.
“I felt like I could convey a positive message through the documentary,” he said.
“The Contestant” raises serious questions about how far society could go when it comes to entertainment and the large audiences and money it represents.
The show’s producer said in the documentary that he just wanted to “capture the moment” and did not mention any reservations about the show’s production.
“I think to some extent we are all complicit in these narratives. I think it’s something to keep in mind. It’s very easy to step back and look at all this, and think, ‘Oh, look what those producers did.’ But, you know, as viewers we have to take some responsibility,” Titley said.
The film explores the various emotions of being trapped in different ways, including in relationships, difficulties, or simply feelings of meaninglessness.
Hamatsu is from Fukushima in northeastern Japan, which was hit by the March 2011 triple disaster, when a giant tsunami followed a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastated the coast, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. .
Hamatsu, who still works as an actor, also dedicates his time to rebuilding Fukushima and raising awareness about the region.
“I want everyone to know that the people of Fukushima are working hard,” he said.
“Life is slowly returning to what it was in the exclusion zones. Of course, I am aware that the path to decommissioning nuclear power plants remains a long battle. “But I would like people to get to know the Fukushima of today, to feel hope when visiting Fukushima, and to watch Fukushima being rebuilt.”
In a kind of vindication at the end of the documentary, Hamatsu becomes a climber and conquers Mount Everest, a feat he dedicates to Fukushima.
Many people think the famous show from 25 years ago was the highlight of Hamatsu’s life, since he doesn’t appear on television much anymore, he said.
“But it is quite the opposite. That was the worst moment of my life. I got over it. And now I’m free to do whatever I want.”
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Yuri Kageyama is in X https://twitter.com/yurikageyama