Leslie Kee

Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to live unconventional lives in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan.

Masato es chef de ramen en Takasaki, Japón. Un día su vida dará un vuelco cuando su padre muera repentinamente. Aunque no mantenía una estrecha relación con él, se encuentra con una maleta y un cuaderno rojo repleto de las memorias de la familia, que su madre le dejó cuando tan solo tenía diez años. Siguiendo sus instintos, Masato viajará a Singapur con la esperanza de reconstruir la historia de su vida y su familia. Allí conocerá a Miki, una bloguera de comida japonesa y madre soltera, que le ayuda a localizar a su tío materno Ah Wee, que le acercará un poco más a sus orígenes junto con su abuela Madam Lee. El joven chef se irá recomponiendo poco a poco a través su pasión por la cocina y la tradición familiar.

Thirteen years after abandoning his wife and two sons by stepping out for a pack of cigarettes and never returning, deadbeat gambler Masato dies of stomach cancer. At his funeral, a motley crew of fellow mahjong players, pachinko parlor employees and former drinking buddies gather to pay their respects and tell stories, revealing aspects of Masato’s life that complicate his sons’ resentment towards him.

The stage is a course at a temple to experience meditation and green tea in fresh green Kyoto. It depicts how the life of the heroine changes depending on whether or not she is in time for start of the course!

In memory of the Japanese earthquake on 3.11, each director presents a 3 minute and 11 second short film in tribute to those who were lost that day.

This film focuses on the "Out in Japan" project in which over 1,000 portraits of Japanese LGBT+ individuals were taken by photographer Leslie Kee and exhibited around the country. Many of the subjects share their stories and come out for the first time in hopes of normalizing the community and adding awareness to closeted Japanese through this project.