Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

We meet three women at very different places in life, and get to know them through the various situations they find themselves in. An unexpected three-way drama, a seduction trick gone wrong, a chance meeting with an old friend which turns out to be something else.

With the Grand Jury Prize from the Berlinale in the bag, Hamaguchi is establishing himself as one of the brightest stars on the Asian film scene. Not least when he also delivers Drive My Car at Cannes in the same year, taking home the award for Best Screenplay there. As with most of his films, this one is dialogue-heavy; he knows just how to tease us with lines that hit home immediately, creating convincing situations which suck us into his universe just when and how he wants.

Hamaguchi is an artist who shines bright as a writer, film director, and musician in his own films. His prose has a flow, a musicality, an understanding of visual expression and form, which all combined makes his films a true joy to discover and be fascinated by.

Lasse Skagen

Director

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (f. 1978) from Kanagawa is one of the biggest names in Japanese cinema. With an education from Tokyo University of Arts, Hamaguchi has cited the films of John Cassavetes as being one of his greatest sources of inspiration. He is known for Happy Hour (2015) and Asako I&II (2018), and with his two 2021 films he won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale and Best Screenplay at Cannes.

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