Screened as part of NZIFF 2021

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy 2021

Guzen to sozo

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi Widescreen

A gentle exploration of the complexities of the human heart, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is a balm for the soul.

Nov 06
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Embassy Deluxe

Nov 12
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Embassy Deluxe

Nov 16

Penthouse Cinema

Nov 18
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Penthouse Cinema

Nov 21
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Embassy Deluxe

Japan In Japanese with English subtitles
122 minutes DCP

Rent

Director, Screenplay

Cast

Kotone Furukawa
,
Kiyohiko Shibukawa
,
Katsuki Mori
,
Fusako Urabe
,
Aoba Kawai
,
Ayumu Nakajima

Producer

Satoshi Takada

Cinematography

Yukiko Iioka

Sound designer

Akihiko Suzuki

Festivals

Berlin, San Sebastián, New York 2021

Awards

Grand Jury Prize, Berlin International Film Festival 2021

Elsewhere

What length would you go to for love? In this anthology, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Happy Hour, NZIFF 2016) weaves a triptych of fate, mystery, and the things we leave unsaid. Following the charged encounters of three women – Meiko, Nao, and Moka – the film showcases the power of Hamaguchi’s storytelling, and his innate ability to bring out thrilling yet nuanced performances from his cast.

The first chapter, Magic (or Something Less Assuring), eases us in with a style that almost feels documentary. Seated in the back of a cab, we feel as if we are present during an intimate conversation between friends Meiko and Tsugumi about the new man in Tsugumi’s life. But just as we relax into the slow cinema-esque flow, Meiko does a 180, setting her sights on a ghost of her past.

Door Wide Open, possibly the most controversial of the three, considers the power dynamics at play in both professional and personal relationships. Goaded into a plot of sexual extortion against her lover’s former professor, Nao opens up a frank discussion of sex and pleasure with her target that is both titillating and thoughtful… but the afterglow will not last.

Then like a warm hug, Once Again places the cherry on top with a story of mistaken identity and longing. Based in a future where a super-virus has pushed the world offline, a chance meeting at a train platform sets Moka and Nana down a path of schoolgirl nostalgia. That is until Moka senses she’s said too much, and what follows is the film’s most emotional and uplifting moments. An absolute gem, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is a film that will restore your faith in magic. — Kailey Carruthers