Director(s): Ken Ochiai
Cast: Chihiro Yamamoto, Hirotaro Honda, Seizo Fukumoto
Uzumasa (Kyoto) is considered the Hollywood of Japan. It has produced many jidaigeki films (period dramas with sword fighting) that are loved by many Japanese, and are highly praised all over the world. These films wouldn t be what they were if it weren t for the kirareyaku (actors whose main job is to be killed by the lead star). Men who are killed, without ever being lit by the limelight…
This story is about those men, the unsung heroes of classic jidaigeki films. They loved and respected the art, even when the production of classic jidaigeki films began to dwindle. Using Charlie Chaplin s film Limelight as an underlying theme, the admirable story of these men dealing with a new generation and fading craftsmanship is told with melancholy and soul.
