In 37 Seconds, 23-year-old comic book artist Yuma, physically disabled due to profound cerebral palsy and emotionally stunted by her well-meaning but overly protective mother, forges her own unusual path to sexual awakening and independence while at the same time discovering love and forgiveness.
News
- 02.01.2019Additional Screening date announced for Cross Section screening: February 11th 5:30pm at Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
- 02.01.201937 Seconds is selected for the Cross Section screening in Generation Program!
https://berlinale.de/en/das_festival/sektionen_sonderveranstaltungen/generation/index.html - 01.29.2019Berlinale Festival Screening Schedule is up!
https://www.berlinale.de/en/programm/berlinale_programm/datenblatt.html?film_id=201914128 - 01.29.2019Berlinale Announces GWFF Best First Feature Film Award nominations!
https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_49876.html - 12.18.201837 Seconds is officially invited to Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinae)
https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/panorama/pan-presse-detail_47450.html
Synopsis
Written & Directed by
HIKARI
Originally from Osaka, Japan, HIKARI is an award-winning writer, director and producer. Her directorial debut short film Tsuyako (Drama, 2011, USC Thesis Film) visited over 100 film festivals worldwide receiving over 50 awards including Director’ s Guild of America Student Award for the Best Female Filmmaker. In 2013, she wrote and directed a live action & animated short film A Better Tomorrow (Fantasy Adventure, 2013) for the First Annual Lexus Short Films which was produced by The Weinstein Company.
Her other directing credit include a dance short film Where We Begin (Drama, 2015, Tribeca Film Festival), Can & Sulochan (Comedy, 2014, UULA) and Subaru’ s Dramatic Cinema Series - commercials and short films that features Subaru’ s vintage to latest models. With the script of 37 Seconds, she had participated in Sundance Institute/NHK Screenwriting workshop, Film Independent’ s Screen- writing and Directing Lab in 2017. The film was completed in January 2019 and it’s celebrating the world premiere at 2019 Berlin International Film Festival in their Panorama section. The film is also nominated for GWFF Best First Feature Film Award.
Cast
MEI KAYAMA as YUMA TAKADA
23 years old Mei Kayama was born in 1994 in Osaka, Japan. She was born as a premature baby which caused her congenital cerebral palsy and became physically disabled. Upon her graduation from Faculty of Social Welfare of Nihon Fukushi University, she began working for a social welfare company in Toyonaka city, Osaka where she’s a full time staff in the Community Welfare Division.
MISUZU KANNO as KYOKO TAKADA
After spending 20 years as theatrical actress, working with world-renown theatre directors like Koki Mitani, Keralino Sandorovich, Minoru Betsuyaku and Hisashi Inoue, she began expanding her career in film in 2015. Her credit includes Oyuki in Kakekomi Onna to Kakedashi Otoko (2016 Winner of Blue Ribbon Award), Japan’ s Longest Day (2016) by Kihachi Okamoto, Blank 13 (2017, winner of Asian New Talent Award) by Takumi Saitoh and Hikari (2017) by Naomi Kawase which was nominated for the Best Foreign Film at Festival de Cannes’ Palme d’Or and received Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Rotterdam International Film Festival, Denver International Film Festival, and Valladolid International Film Festival.
SHUNSUKE DAITO as TOSHIYA
Shunsuke was born in Osaka, Japan in 1986 and made his acting debut in the TV series “Nobuta wo Produce” in 2005. Since then he has appeared in director Takashi Miike’ s 2 film series “Crows Zero” as well as several other films and TV programs. In 2017, he played the lead role in Takeo Kikuchi’ s film “Bokyo”
MAKIKO WATANABE as MAI
Makiko, born in Tokyo, Japan in 1968, is a well known actress who has appeared in numerous award-winning films that have screened at film festivals around the world. She is best known for her roles in “Chichi wo Tori ni” (2012) and Nobuhiro Suwa’ s “M/OTHER” (1999).
YOSHIHIKO KUMASHINO as MR. KUMA
Yoshikiko was born with cerebral palsy in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan in 1969. He is the CEO of NPO Noir. Since he discovered that people with dis- abilities’ sexual needs and desires were denied and ignored by doctors, caregivers, and even sex industry workers, he has devo-ted himself to increasing the awareness of disabled people’ s sexuality. Noir sponsors events and supports research in these areas. His story was the subject of the 2017 film “Perfect Revolution” starring by Lily Frankie from Shoplifters.
YUKA ITAYA as FUJIMOTO
Yuka is an award winning actress and television newscaster.After beginning her career as a fashion model, she has gone on to act in numerous films and television series. She has been a television news anchor for 11 years and has also hosted “Film Studio”, a show focusing on movie industry news. In addition to her film and television work, Yuka is a well-known clothing designer with her own fashion label “SINME”
