Asian Pop-Up Cinema: A Samurai In Time 侍タイムスリッパー - Japan

Japan | Fantasy Comedy | 2024 | 74 minutes

In Japanese w/ English Subtitles

Director/Screenwriter: Junichi Yasuda

Starring: Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Yuno Sakura , Rantaro Mine, Ken Shonozaki

Film Source: Third Window Films

INTRO and Q&A with director Junichi Yasuda and Actress Yuno Sakura 

SYNOPSIS:

In the Edo period, a samurai is struck by lightning and transported to the present day. Thanks to his “authentic” outfit and speaking style, the samurai ends up finding his calling as a kiraeyaku, a swordsman in the samurai genre whose job is to get killed on-screen. 

A tribute to Seizo Fukumoto, the late samurai genre actor who died more than 50,000 times on-screen, Junichi Yasuda’s high-concept comedy is a refreshing twist on both the time-traveling and the samurai genres. The self-funded film opened on one screen and slowly grew in popularity on word-of-mouth, becoming the sleeper hit of 2024.

Junichi Yasuda, Director

Born in Kyoto in 1967. After graduating from Osaka University of Economics, he worked at various jobs before starting his own videography business. His work ranges from kindergarten recitals to bridal photography, corporate videos, event video production, direction and design, multi-cam event recording and broadcasting, and production and distribution of low-budget films. He owns his own equipment, including six professional video cameras, five cine cameras, dozens of lenses, lighting equipment, dollies, cranes, switchers, and intercoms. In 2014, he founded Mirai Eigasha.In 2023, upon his father's passing, he took over his family's rice farming business. Farming rice fields that are too large takes up a lot of time, making it difficult to work on the video productions, and with rice prices so low that they are in the red, the situation continues to be uncertain due to tight household finances. “If Samurai in Time doesn't become a hit, I won't be able to continue growing rice”.

Host or Publisher Asian Pop-Up Cinema