Dir: Ryuichi Hiroki. 2014. Japan. 135 mins. Japanese with English subtitles.
Renowned for his erotic pinku films (basically soft porn), Ryuichi Hiroki’s latest work focuses on the bittersweet web of lives in Tokyo’s red-light district, where guests and employees collide in a love hotel.
Why watch it ‘This veteran Japanese director is renowned for making films with a strong artistic voice. The story happens over the course of one night, with characters that may seem clichéd. And despite its seedy setting, the film actually tells a very tender story about people finding themselves and that elusive human connection in the unlikeliest of places.’