Abstract:

"In the late sixties, a whole generation of Japanese students were swept into the dream of a new society to be ushered in by radical social change. Young people took to the streets, pitting themselves against the might of the state. Some waited expectantly for the tide of worldwide revolution to reach Japan, while others instigated riots and bombings. A new world seemed almost within their grasp. But as the next generation approached adulthood, the movement collapsed and a feeling of profound helplessness crept into the hearts of the nation. "Boy's Choir" is an attempt to portray those young people who were not on the front lines to rpotest but were more innocent -- impacted in a less direct but no less profound way. Through them, [director] Ogata's aim is 'to show the twisted face of post-war Japan'" -- Presskit || Plot: 15 year old Michi is sent to a Catholic boys orphanage in the far north soon after the death of his father. A classmate, Yasuo, befriends him and encourages him to join the boys' choir. Together, they witness a dramatic incident involving a political activist escaping from the police. The incident resonates with the boys in different ways during the subsequent months, as they physically mature, encounter the girls at a neighboring school, and enter a choir competition. Cast: Ito Atsushi, Kagawa Teruyuki, Takizawa Ryoko