Name: Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Yukiko A.K.A. 雪子 a.k.a. - Japan
Start: 2025-03-22T20:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-03-22T22:00:00-05:00
Location: AMC NEWCITY 14

$Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Yukiko A.K.A. \u96ea\u5b50 a.k.a. - Japan$

An elementary school teacher finds her voice by turning to hip-hop
About this Event

Japan | Drama | 2024 | 98 minutes

In Japanese w/ English Subtitles

Director: Naoya Kusaba

Screenwriter: Ayako Suzuki

Starring: Rio Yamashita, Hina Higuchi, Fusako Urabe, Daichi Watanabe

Film Source: Pal Entertainments Production

SYNOPSIS:

Yukiko, a timid 29-year-old elementary school teacher, struggles with student communication and personal insecurities. However, when she begins to dabble in hip-hop, she finds confidence and begins to discover the things that truly define her.

It’s easy to pick up a hobby, but finding the things that define your life is another matter altogether. Rather than depicting another musical genius who miraculously achieves excellence, Naoya Kusaba’s indie drama follows a character who embraces her flaws and limitations in art while using it to find a voice of her own. The result is a heartwarming and grounded feel-good film.

Kusaba Naoya /草場尚也 , Director

Born in August 1991, Nagasaki, Japan. After graduating from Oita University, Kusaba studied scriptwriting under Izumi Takahashi at the Film School of Tokyo. He joined a video production company, where he began his career as an assistant director (AD) for variety shows, eventually working his way up to assistant director for TV dramas and films.

Taking a leave of absence from the company, he directed an independent film "Super Mikin Corinista," which won both the Nikkatsu Award and the Horipro Award at the PFF Award 2019, a festival celebrating independent films. This film marks his first professional feature-length work.