Fascinating first teaser for “Happy End” – Japanese surveillance drama

Fascinating first teaser for “Happy End” – Japanese surveillance drama

by Alex Billington
29 August 2024
Source: YouTube

“When we die, let’s have fun.” NYFF has released the first teaser for an upcoming Japanese film called Happy endingthe filmmaker's first feature film Neo Sorabest known for his many Ryuichi Sakamoto documentaries. Happy ending premieres this weekend at the 2024 Venice Film Festival before screening at both TIFF and NYFF later this fall and opening in Japan in October. Set in near-future Tokyo, the film is looming as a catastrophic earthquake threatens. Two friends play a prank on their principal before graduation, leading to security cameras being installed in the school, which eventually leads to a fight between the high school boys. Happy ending “reinforces the sociopolitical dynamics that already exist in Japan today.” It is another fascinating surveillance thriller with commentary on contemporary society, similar to the other Strange eyes also premiered in Venice. With Hayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Yuta Hayashi, Shina Peng, ARAZI, Kilala Inori, PUSHIMAnd Makiko Watanabe. The story is about two friends who have to cope with their new surveillance world that takes over their entire lives. Another must-see film, new film at the fall festivals.

Here is the first teaser trailer for the Neo Sora movie Happy endingdirectly from NYFF's YouTube:

“At its simplest level, Happy End is about the natural separation between friends, but it also explores how larger forces can unconsciously influence our lives and relationships. The teenagers at the heart of Happy End have grown up in an atmosphere of fear and are searching for ways to process their collective anxieties about the future. I hope that by looking into the speculative future and seeing our unease reflected there, we can better deal with the anxieties we feel today.” –Director Neo Sora

About Venice: “Best friends Yuta and Kou are about to graduate high school in a near-future Tokyo, where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake overshadows their daily lives. One night, they play a prank on their principal with unexpected consequences, leading to the installation of a surveillance system in the school. As repressive security measures take hold and the national political situation darkens, Kou grows increasingly frustrated with the world while Yuta seems oblivious. Kou finds a sympathetic ear in a passionate student activist and his political consciousness begins to blossom. Believing Yuta would never understand his newfound interests, Kou begins to distance himself from his friend. For the first time in their lifelong friendship, the two are forced to confront differences they had never expressed before.” Happy ending was written and directed by a Japanese-American artist/filmmaker Neo SoraDirector of Docs Ainu Neno to Ainu And Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opusas well as other short films and music videos by Sakamoto, which is his first feature film. It is produced by Zakkubalan (Albert Tholen, Aiko Masubuchi), Cineric Creative (Eric Nyari), Cinema Inutile (Alex C. Lo) and Giraffe Pictures (Anthony Chen). It will premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti section and will also be screened at TIFF and NYFF. Neo Soras Happy ending will be available in Japan from October this fall. No further releases are planned yet.

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