Yoshino's Barber Shop
In a small rural town where everyone knows each other, all boys have the same bowl haircuts known as the “Yoshino Cut,” a local tradition administered by the town’s proud (and sole) barber Mrs. Yoshino (Masako Motai). When a new kid with a cool haircut arrives from Tokyo and refuses to comply, however, four fifth-grader friends find their lives forever changed. A visually inventive debut feature that playfully considers conformity and tradition, director Naoko Ogigami gives special attention to the gestures, sounds and the comical inner-lives of her characters, bringing the light touch of Jacques Tati to her fictional Japanese countryside.
- Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk - Special Mention, 2004 Berlin International Film Festival
“Whimsical and endearing, this promising first feature is certainly universal enough to win over viewers all around the globe.” —Midnight Eye
Streaming in the U.S. from February 5-25 as part of 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020