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Queer Japan

Play trailer 2:28 Poster for Queer Japan Released Dec 11, 2020 1h 39m Documentary LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan. From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between. Dazzling, iconoclastic drag queen Vivienne Sato peels back the layers of language and identity. Maverick manga artist Gengoroh Tagame tours the world with his unapologetically erotic gay comics. Councilwoman Aya Kamikawa recounts her rocky path to becoming the first transgender elected official in Japan. At legendary kink-positive hentai party Department H, non-binary performance artist Saeborg uses rubber to create a second skin. Culled from 100+ interviews conducted over 3 years in locations across Japan, Queer Japan features dozens of individuals sharing their experiences in their own words. Get to know a vibrant and inspiring group of human beings in a country with a unique history of queer expression.

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Queer Japan

Critics Reviews

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Cody Corrall Chicago Reader Featuring a wide array of interviews from kinksters, club owners, drag artists, and politicians -- Graham Kolbeins paints an electric and multifaceted portrait of queer culture in contemporary Japan. Dec 14, 2020 Full Review Noel Murray Los Angeles Times There's a lot to see and to think about here, all well-curated by a documentarian with a clear passion for his subject. Dec 11, 2020 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Weaving something like 100 interviews into the narrative, director Graham Kolbeins paints with broad strokes, revealing a portrait of identity, labels and culture that's pretty dang enthralling. Rated: 3/4 Dec 11, 2020 Full Review Jason Shawhan Nashville Scene But Kolbeins makes it all fit effortlessly and sensibly, finding space for all the voices in a way that lets the film work as a discussion rather than a lecture. A remarkable documentary. Sep 9, 2021 Full Review Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com Looking to expose lives often lived in the shadows, and it does so with feeling, giving the subjects time to share their histories, with Kolbeins capturing distinctly human experiences from refreshing perspectives. Rated: B Sep 6, 2021 Full Review Hagan Osborne FILMINK (Australia) ...smashes through some glass ceilings with its celebration of fringe queer culture; digging deep to offer insight into societal attitudes and politics. Rated: 13/20 Apr 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member "It's considered "good" when we're all facing the same direction, but in reality, we can only function when every single one of us has meaning." I learned a lot from this movie; so many interesting people, and as many interesting ideas to ponder. This film is a testament of the power of diversity. What an incredible journey! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review brent m A colorful and flamboyant look at the burgeoning LGBTQ community in the Land of the Rising Sun, a long-sequestered segment of society that is now coming into its own in a big way and making a big statement in the process. The film's panoramic scope features interviews with an array of out, proud and self-aware representatives of the community, speaking about their lives, loves and contributions to not only its own culture, but also that of the nation at large. While the film tends to skew more toward the transgender segment of the community than others, it nevertheless provides an insightful look at a part of Japanese society that's aggressively seeking to make a mark and to reform longstanding closed-minded viewpoints, especially in the areas of civil rights, politics and social acceptance. A bit more balance in the overall content would have made for a better documentary, but it's an enlightening and entertaining view nonetheless. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Queer Japan

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Cast & Crew

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Graham Kolbeins

Director

Graham Kolbeins

Writer

Anne Ishii

Writer

Hiromi Iida

Producer

Graham Kolbeins

Cinematographer

John Roney

Cinematographer

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Queer Japan

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Queer Japan

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Movie Info

Synopsis Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan. From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between. Dazzling, iconoclastic drag queen Vivienne Sato peels back the layers of language and identity. Maverick manga artist Gengoroh Tagame tours the world with his unapologetically erotic gay comics. Councilwoman Aya Kamikawa recounts her rocky path to becoming the first transgender elected official in Japan. At legendary kink-positive hentai party Department H, non-binary performance artist Saeborg uses rubber to create a second skin. Culled from 100+ interviews conducted over 3 years in locations across Japan, Queer Japan features dozens of individuals sharing their experiences in their own words. Get to know a vibrant and inspiring group of human beings in a country with a unique history of queer expression.
Director
Graham Kolbeins
Producer
Hiromi Iida
Screenwriter
Graham Kolbeins, Anne Ishii
Distributor
Altered Innocence
Genre
Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 11, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 10, 2020
Runtime
1h 39m
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